Remember, The Postman Always Rings Twice
by prettilitTLepoison
Summary: “It is by no means an irrational fancy that, in a future existence, we shall look upon what we think our present existence, as a dream.” Edgar Allan Poe
1. Darkness

(Here's a story I hope to continue, its deeper and perhaps more unusual than my previous works. It may seem depressing and disconcerting, but trust me, it gets worse hehe) Enjoy my lovelies, for I know this may confuzzle some of you, but all will be reveal itself in the long/run.

And Remember, The Postman Always Rings Twice.

* * *

"I have here, a list. No, not just a list. _The_ List. The reckoning of all your days. Your deeds and penance is expected. Your questioning is also expected." It said methodically. The towering, shadowy figure looked down at the attentive it was speaking to, a rather large stilted stand was before him as well, and amongst the pitch darkness, a thin, concentrated beam lit the neatly stacked papers upon the platform.

The person of which 'It' was speaking to, was standing quite nervously, trembling almost, biting his lower lip in habit.

"The life in which you led, the times you have spent tinkering with the so called 'paranormal' seems to have lead to your ultimate demise, so I ask you, do you have the faintest idea why you are here?" It asked softly, but clearly and concisely, trying to remember that mortals tend to be stupid and very nervous creatures.

"Should I know?" He said with a bite of humor, his eyes squinting trying to see... well whomever or _whatever_ he was speaking with.

"_Sir_," It spoke with clear sardonic overtones, "You are confused. I can see that you are currently _out_ of the Realm of rationality and reason. I will help you." The last of the words seemed to fade into a soft echo, and soon a flash of green, harsh words, _bleeding_ words that sunk into him, overtook him, compelling him to fall deeper into that dark haze... to fall...

Splash. Splattered. Screams. (Don't let go...)

(Don't you _DARE_ TOUCH HIM!)

Soon, the shattered memories pushed violently, deeper out of the far reaches of his subconscious, and it hit him with such a force, he fell to the dark ground.

Soon, the voices echoed louder and resonated through his senses like a monstrous tidal wave of screams (Don't, Don't, Don't... PLEASE!) and was pushed by this ferocity, and as such, they pounded his face mercilessly into the gravel and dirt. They. Faintly, he could make out their forms, the white-clad mercenaries, now soaked in blood. (I...I love you.) As soon as the horrid visions of his Last Moments dissipated, he found himself in the exact position he was in previous, just moments earlier. A minute passed. Silence. Then, in an uncontrollable burst of fear and grief, he sobbed and screamed, falling to his knees, for hi-.. his... (I do love you, you know?)

The unknown personage looked upon its new guest with apathy, and knew it was time to go on. "Take your deep thoughts and leave them to rest for now." It said soothingly, and soon, within moments, he was up and breathing more evenly, tears slowing and eyes tranquil and steady.

"Is he ..ok?" he said slowly, trying desperately to sound less nervous.

"Miserable, miserable, miserable." It uttered with disdain, with no sign of feeling. "You have important matters that should concern you _far_ more." It scoffed lightly.

"None ...of my concern?" he said, trembling on his words, "NONE OF _MY_ CONCERN!"

It shook its heavy head, "Dib Membrane. You should be well advised to keep your temper, for everything you say and do will determine your soul's ultimate resting." It replied evenly. "If you shall remain asinine and petulant with Us, my decision will be quite simple to analyze and establish."

"Where am I?" Dib asked shakily.

"Something you need to understand, Mr. Membrane, and hopefully accept is that the body, the skin you have grown so accustomed to, is now keeping you from your very soul, and your mortality has indefinitely reached its end."

And all Dib could do was think about...

(nothing can keep us apart)


	2. Luminous

This chapter: **Luminous**. Enjoy!

* * *

His eyes became glassy and far away, as he stared at It. 

"What do you want from me." Dib whispered gloomily.

(I do love you, you know?)

It smirked, "Time. That's all. Your time, and when we're done, you can leave." It said, reassuringly with a calmly collected **bullshit** that seemed to warp his thoughts, he could feel a creeping sense of horrid dread and an excruciating sadness twist around him internally. Dib could only nod, albeit weakly, in response.

(Yes, yes, yes...) "We shall continue then," It took the papers from its rest. A soft snapping noise resounded through the walls and suddenly the whole room illuminated, and Dib, in shock, winced and gasped sharply at the brightness. Luminous. But the strength of this luminosity seemed to cover him from all angles. Hitting him harder th-... than... (_Stop!! Oh _GOD_ PLEASE STOP!!!_) than a thousand blows of white hot stones, marred and jagged. (Hold me... don't. let. go.) Dib's golden eyes finally adjusted to the blinding insanity and took in a deep sigh to try to relax. (In vain as _always_...)

"It is Our duty to show you memories, horrible, disturbing things. You may or may not remember them, but nonetheless, you must see the good with the bad. We know you are exhausted, and completely dumbfounded by this whole ordeal. We know... We know..." (lies, lies, lies...)

Dib didn't speak, he just stood there. Almost trancelike.

"You are currently in the Realm of Light and Darkness. Your Soul is with The Balance. Don't delude yourself and think its all a dream"  
...an illusion, illusion...

Dib listened blindly, his eyes dulled by the light and the pure miserable fact that he might never see (Splash. Splattered. Screams. _No one will know, no one will ever know, no one but us_.) Zim again.

Words soon became unintelligible prattle, and soon he was transported back to a familiar scene, a comforting one.

...  
_"Get the hell away from me Dib-stink!!" Zim shouted the usual banter, growling angrily at his 'friend'. Dib simply smirked and lazed about Zim's laboratory as though he lived there. Zim, at the time, was working on some highly unstable chemicals and needed his concentration. "Damn worm-babies always get in my way..." he muttered frustrated in his futile attempts of meditation. "I think I'm leaving soon. I mean, come on Zim, you really think I'm going to stay here waiting for your sorry ass." He teased lightly, "I'm nineteen for Christ's Sakes," and He chuckled mirthfully, tinkering with some Lab equipment, waiting for the inevitable response. A few minutes passed of silence, except for the clinking of beakers and glasses, and a noise slightly resembling a tea kettle about to fly off its handle, hot steam, and instead of boiling water, it was Zim inside about ready to explode._

_... "WHAT?!"_

_Dib smiled. Always the same. Always different, Always the same._

Soon, Dib was jutted out of his reverie of something actually pleasant or something similar to pleasant, and thrown back into the ... _'Does it seem smaller or am I just seeing things? Like walls are closing in on my soul.'_ Realm or whatever it's called. _Light and Darkness_.

"_and you can leave... Time is all We need... you can leave..."_

_..But to _where?

_(Always the same, Always different.)_

_Everything was finally.. _**Luminous**.


	3. Desire?

(Desire suggests lack of fulfillment.)

_"To say I desire you.. to say that we desire each other, is to suggest something needs to be fulfilled, something _unfulfilled_. No, I tell you here and now, no matter what happens to you, or me, or us, whether things change, for better or for worse, know that my soul is _full_ because of this. This, what we have. What I have. You. Nothing as sketchy as desire will take hold of me, I assure you." He looked sincerely into those lovely eyes of quirky brightness and a strange... how do you say? Fondness. Yes, a fondness. A certain fondness that seemed to tie all of the mess and bullshit that they have encountered into a single, solitary thought._ (Splash. Splattered. Screams.)

...**Love**... _True_ honest to God...

(_Stop!! Oh _**GOD**_ PLEASE STOP!!)_

Love.

_... "WHAT?!"_

_Dib smiled. Always the same. Always different, Always the same._

_"Yeah, I mean I think its time we moved on..." Dib said intentionally cryptic, and knew his words to be so. And though Zim knew exactly what he meant, he wouldn't... _didn't_ want to expose his insolence, his defiant nature that screamed shrilly as he often articulated in real speech, 'You're my enemy and you'll always _**be**_ my enemy!! Nothing, not even the entire Armada can change that!! Not even a little exile. Nope.' But almost instantly, his quick anger_ _of before melted and the fact that his concentration was broken was quickly forgotten. "Yes, Zim knows..." He said softly, turning off the burners and placing the carefully wrapped capsules and beakers full of toxic chemicals inside a safety bubble. "Zim always knew. Truce?" He looked at Dib with a somewhat confused and bothered glance._

_Dib smiled and placed a hand upon his friend's shoulder. "You know it." Zim sighed and watched amused as he saw Gir running madly, his eyes steadily on the monitor, his eyes not wanting to look anywhere else, especially Dib, a piggy swinging wildly in his tiny mechanical hand, screams and laughter dancing wildly with his swirling thoughts._ (Always the same. Always different, _Always_ the same.)

_Dib frowned slightly, and sighed, "Miss me, will ya? So at least I know that _someone_ won't be partying endlessly, due to the loss of my crazy, _big_ head." He chuckled, poking fun at the familiar attack on himself. Though, how true it was. But, he wasn't sad. No, no, _no_. (_Yes, yes, yes...)

_"Who might that be? Someone I don't know about?" Said Zim dumbly, but Dib could see a hidden smirk in the others eyes._

_Dib rolled his eyes, a small smile twitching its way into a Cheshire Grin. _

_Zim jumped back in dramatic inaccuracy, almost tripping over some wires. "I won't miss yooou!" Zim enunciated the 'you' in a sing-song fashion to somehow win a non-existent argument, pointing at Dib with a twinkle of twisted humor laced with his words._ _Zim's cheeks turned a tint darker for just a second, then returned to its normalcy. He looked at Dib and then sighed._

"_Well, I'll see you around." Dib said as he turned to commence Zim with his, no, _**their**_ handshake _(Originally a way of greeting for Swollen Eyeball members, much to Zim's amusement), _the thing he had taught Zim years before, when they had first made the truce. It was a subtle thing they did, not dramatic or showy, but it was what reminded Dib of how they had introduced trust in their truce, something that meant more than he could say. (_Truce naturally melted into friendship, friendship blurring into_...)_

_But, Zim didn't join in his friend's spirit of Old Times. No, he had other things in mind. Instead, Zim, in a bout of fret and exhaustion, turned around and caught Dib in a crushing embrace. Zim took Dib's hand and slipped a note inside his palm, enclosing it in Dib's fist gently._

(I do love you, you know?)

_Dib's eyes widened slightly in shock by this uncharacteristic change in Zim's usually indifferent and insane behavior, childish and altogether idiosyncratic, but instantly he hugged back, with no sign of hesitation. It just seemed the right thing to do._

_"Wha-" Dib started as he felt a shy piece of folded paper slip into his hand._

_"Just... read it when you're alone." Zim whispered, letting go of his friend. He looked to the floor and then at Dib, smiling weakly. It abruptly became awkward. Strange and unfamiliar._

_Dib tried to smile back, but looked to the floor. A few moments passed by._

_Then, before they could stop it, their eyes met. _

_And i__n an instant, everything became_ _calm and serene, surroundings seeming non-existent. Eyes locked and melted in a heap of emotions, ranging from past ones to now present ones, anger, frustration, confusion, the threat of insanity, the threat of _**sanity**_... sadness, a Trust. But amongst this flow of sensation, beyond fleeting things, a more meaningful, new understanding was shared between these two, a silent promise of something better._

_Soon, both drifted out of the reverie. Zim blinked and coughed, "Well, see ya Dib."_

_Dib twitched slightly in something else new he saw in Zim today. He never heard Zim_ _just call him _Dib_, not in the way it was just said, no._

_Dib just nodded and let it be, a sad smile gracing his lips._

_As soon as he walked out of Zim's front lawn, he opened the note._

Swirled out, just to be sucked back in.

_"College bound, my boy!" The Professor radiated proudly, Dib grinned a toothy, hardy smile. "Congrats!"_

_Dib looked at his Dad and then his acceptance letter. A sigh. 'I'll tell Zim later...' He quietly_ _thought in his mind._

_Two days passed. A week._

_Zim noticed something was on Dib's mind, but didn't press. 'All in good time, I suppose.' He thought to himself, though eager. Then all of a sudden it hit him harder than a ton of bricks: "College. I'm going to college, Zim."_

Zim didn't say a word.

(Desire?...)


	4. Splattered

_"Something you need to understand, Mr. Membrane, and hopefully accept is that the body, the skin you have grown so accustomed to, is now keeping you from your very soul, and your mortality has indefinitely reached its end."_

_'But has it.. **really **ended?...' Dib's mind questioned out of nowhere. _

Once again jutted from his memories, like being thrown from a bucking horse to the dirt floor, he gasped sharply but soon found his bearings. A smile graced his lips, fond memories still floating about his mind, memories that weren't altogether _that_ pleasant, but familiar. Then, it all disappeared and nothingness engulfed him.

_...keeping you from your very soul._

_'Could it be that my soul is still trapped in my body? Do I have a chance? Could it be..._ (Lies, lies, lies...) _a dream?' _Dib thought strangely.

_'Don't delude yourself and think its all a dream.'_

Dib's thoughts short-circuited and felt as though he could not speak. His eyes widened in terror of the Unknown. It.

"The time has come for you to realize why you are here." It said, and now instead of bright blinding light shooting from every corner, it was now a dull gray... seeming to darken with every passing moment.

Dib could only grimace. It grinned. Dib automatically shuddered as he saw the manic smile. Then, a surge of violent images passed through his eyes, digging into him, seeming to cut through his mind like a hot knife through butter. _'What does any of this mean?!"_ Dib thought very confused and abruptly swollen with a deep sadness.

He gasped and soon ... (_Splash. Splattered. Screams_.) everything turned to darkness.

Swirls of light passed through, and he was thrown once again into...

_Dib was smiling, his eyes twinkling in the sun's welcoming rays. Zim saw his smile, grinning himself._

Light.

_"I do love you, you know?" Dib said, leaning toward Zim's sensitive antennas, hidden inconspicuously under shoulder-length black hair, hair that now actually complimented his features. He shuddered pleasantly, whispering back, "Yes." _

_Dib took Zim's hand in his own. "So, where are we going?" Dib asked curiously. _

_Zim smiled slyly, he had some tricks up his sleeve. "You will see," He said simply, whilst unknown, a beautifully wrapped package sat nicely in his over sized pant pocket. He scoffed dramatically, "Always so _impatient_, Dib-stink." He scoffed teasingly._

_Dib chuckled. "I'm impatient?!" He said adding to the dramatic affect. "You are the_ master _of impatience!_ _Please, just give me a hint... at least?" Zim shook his head and squeezed Dib's hand. They turned a corner. _

_"There they are, just like I said..." A soft whisper, echoing faintly in the distance_.

_"Did you hear something?" Said Zim. Dib looked at him oddly. "No, why?"_

Splash. Splattered. Screams_. Time stood still for that brief moment. Dib's eyes glazed over, then widened in pure horror._

_"Stop!! Oh **GOD **PLEASE STOP!!" Dib screamed as he saw Zim fly across the pavement, skidding. His flesh was matted with fresh blood and dirt, clothes ripped and torn. The unknown mercenaries, though seemingly familiar, were fully clad in soft white, black cloth covering their faces._

_Several jumped out of their hiding, contrasting black and white shadows. For a moment, Dib thought he recognized one or two of them. Then, in a heated shock, it hit him. "YOU!! You're ALL part of the Swol...!!" But in vain, the words as well as his breath were knocked out of him as he was kicked straight to his jaw, sliding across the ground, blood hitting him, filling up his mouth. He spit it out, only to get kicked again. _

_Zim, in a delirious daze, caught a small glimpse of Dib's frail body bruised and bleeding. "Don't you DARE_ TOUCH HIM_!!" Zim yelled as menacingly as he could muster, trying to get his Pak to spread his monstrous spider-like legs, but unwilling, it seemed undone and uncooperative. He collapsed in his own filth. "Damnit..." He cursed._

_"Keep it alive... we need the specimen for study..." Faint whispers. They all nodded. Zim's acute hearing picked it up and he scowled. "A fellow agent fraternizing with the enemy... shameful..." Another voice said shallowly. Zim growled. _

_"Don't, Don't, Don't... PLEASE!" Dib rasped in between kicks and punches and wicked laughter. __"Someone HELP US!!" Dib yelled desperately, but no one came. He hated apathy._

_Zim looked weakly upon his love, admitting horridly to himself that Dib _may_ be die. And he didn't even get to say..._

_"I-...I _love _you DIB!!" Dib heard this and despite himself, and his pride, he sobbed, "Nothing can keep us apart..." He said softly, choking on his words, "N-nothing..." But as soon as the last syllable was uttered, he was knocked out unconscious, blood spilling from oozing cuts, bruises forming on his neck and stomach. A choking sound. Relent. Last breath._

_The mercenaries chuckled at this, one of them kicking him, "No one will know, no one will ever know, no one but us." He said with a horrible mocking, familiar words Dib often assured him of. And soon it hit him. They were from Dib's Swollen Eyeball thing! "Dib... Oh God DIIB!" He sobbed uncontrollably, "YOU FUCKIN' MISERA-" He started. But soon..._

Darkness...

Mocking laughter, screams.

Swirling into...

Light again.

He was blinded by it. He retched.

Dib saw now. The bastards betrayed him...

But even that didn't hurt nearly as bad.


	5. Yours

(A/n- Hey, listen, I appreciate all the feedback, so I decided to write a mini-chapter... a gift to my loyal readers!!! It definetly goes with the plot-line... and later there will be a much larger chapter, much, _much_ larger than any other one I posted so far. It goes deeper into Dib (no pun or sexual innuendo intended), his life, after he left Zim, but before The Bad Thing happened. haha, now I'm sounding like a 5-year old. "**The Bad Thing**." hehe.. Well enjoy...!! Um I changed the rating to M.)

* * *

_Soft sighs... caress my body... touch me,_

_Make me yours. _**Forever**

_Touch me... kiss me... _OH JUST **KISS** ME!

Hands locked, soft whispers... "_I love you_..."

_...Swirls..._

_moans... sighs... screams.._

**Of Pure Fucking Ecstasy.**

_Drips into..._

_Maddening Release._

_...Swirls..._

Light and Darkness.

_...Swirls... Deeper..._

_Touch me._

_Swirls..._

_Memories._

SWIRLING...

"How did I ever ..."

Swirls...

It. "Times up."

"How did I ever come to love you so much?"

Dib's eyes opened. Light... pure blinding light.

_"Dib... are you there?"_


	6. Smile

_As soon as he was out of Zim's front lawn, he opened the note._

He smiled, as he read it.

**Need me? I'll be here. When you're ready.**

**Zim**

It was simple, yes, but it summed up what was definitely something more.

And that was... all he needed to know. He sighed shortly and went back to his house, placing the note in his pocket. He was packed and ready to leave, within a few days, tuition paid and full, his life coming together and falling apart all at the same time.

He walked in the front door, closed it, up the stairs, to his room. He knew there was something hidden behind his cool, calm exterior. It was the first time Dib had masked his feelings around Zim since before the truce, and it wasn't even intentional.

He fell into a hot mess of tears, frustrated and empty.

--Then, a smile.

_Four years later._

"Dib Membrane." The Headmaster called. Dib smiled at his family as he walked up to the platform to receive his degrees. The crowd applauded. He then walked down to sit with his friends, making fun of how some of them looked so serious and solemn when they walked up there.

Yes,_ friends_. Interestingly, Dib did make several, and it surprised him to know other people could be so avid about paranormal things, the world and its mysteries. But, instead of following his childhood fancies, he went 'straight' so to speak, majoring in Psychology. He excelled in it greatly, finding it very interesting and fun to learn about human nature, the mind and its many complexities, and the world in general.

He also was greatly interested in art, studying many great works and their meanings, practicing his own skills as well, thinking what a great back-up plan it would be, if his plans of being a psychologist didn't pan out, if he could land a job/internship in an art studio or museum. It just might work.

But though he seemed on the right track, to the road of Greatness and Success, he knew, in the back of his mind and heart, his true passion. The Paranormal.

His father was there, as was his sister, though she seemed quite indifferent, she was happy for him, whether it be because he moved out or because he actually made something of himself, no one could be sure. His father, grinning through his lab coat and goggles, and his eyes were shinning with joy. He was extremely pleased with Dib's success. But, he couldn't help but feel relieved for the fact that Dib didn't go straight into the strange, 'nonsensical' paranormal studies.

It made him swell up with pride, and for the first time, he knew how much he loved his son. Of course, he always had, but musings of _'My poor, insane son'_... was now switched to _'My successful, intelligent son' _and_ 'The College graduate'._

Much later, after the celebration, he and his friends went back to their dorms for some drinks and their own little version of celebrating. Loud music, blaring, piercing their eardrums hypnotically, they drank, danced, laughed and talked merrily... all the while he seemed to be forgetting something. He couldn't place what.

Much later, as the laughter died down a little and the music was promptly shut off due to Trisha, formally known as Tee, who announced very loudly that she had a _whale _of a migrane, which she got every now and then for reasons unknown.

"It's got me at the most jagged end of its teeth, chomping on my brain meats, deciding whether to swallow me or to just keep chewing," She said in a daze, slurring her words, swaying back and forth, her eyes crazed and full of twisted humor. "It just keeps chewing an-and chewiiiiiiiiing..." She giggled and garbled at Dib, flirting with him, trying to kiss him, her friends tittering and smiling, pointing out shamelessly how cute of a couple they would be. Finally, his friend passed out.

"I always knew Tee liked ya," His long-time friend Johnny teased, playfully hitting him in the arm.

"I _don't_ think so. She was outta her mind plastered." Dib remarked, but he smiled anyway.

"Oh, and is that your professional opinion?" Johnny gushed. "Girls only like you when they're 'outta their mind'?"

Dib scoffed at his friend. "Yeah, well at _least_ I know when a girl likes me for real or not."

Johnny rolled his eyes. "Sure. Well just lookit her, all laid out and prutty-like. Just cuz she don't _like_ you doesn't mean you can't get a little action!" He said in his imitation of a dumb jock, laid on thick.

"Sh-shut up, I would never do that!" He said a little too loudly, for Trish stirred a little. But instead of waking, she slept on.

Johnny giggled, "Oh _that's_ right, you're more into the cute little green _aliens_..."

Dib rolled his eyes, "Well; I have good reason to believe you like Krista." Dib ignored the aforementioned remark, and Johnny just blushed.

Then, in an instant later, he remembered.

Dib and Zim made hardly any contact these past years. Just the brief, "Hi, how are you, what's been going on?"... But every time they spoke, Zim seemed empty, seemed sad, seemed lonely. If Dib asked him if something was wrong, the response was always, "Nothing! I'm great!" But it never seemed to make a difference. _'In vain as _always_ Zim.'_ It was rare when Dib heard Zim in a _good _mood, and when he did, Dib felt so much relief. He didn't know how _much _Zim affected him, emotionally and otherwise, and only his close friends really saw those minute changes.

What was odd was that though it wasn't against the rules to have visitors, and though Dib had made several invitations, Zim always declined. Was he scared? But of what? It was just Dib... and he knew, _they_ knew each other better than they knew themselves. It was a constant thing that always bothered Dib, but he never spoke to Zim about it, not the way he wanted to.

But one thing was for sure, he was definitely feeling a full frontal attack on his nerves, his emotions, for now that his college 'adventure' was over, and now that his fun has ended, there was nothing to distract him from these feelings. He missed Zim terribly. He missed their conversations, amusing and even intelligent, the way he could tell just from one look how the other felt, and vice versa, and a million things.

And he thought knew why his friend was so detached and quiet, he thought he knew Zim. But he realized today he had really no idea.

_No_ idea what was almost as obvious as Zim was obviously an alien-disguised, for sometimes-even _geniuses_ couldn't see what was right at the end of their noses.

He didn't see that Zim...

Dib had tried this whole time to figure out what Zim really meant to him, but it was always pushed back into his mind for other things, popping out randomly and frustrating him.

And, still... he didn't know.

Something struck him as odd when he received the postcard in the mail the other day. It was the only thing resembling contact outside of their phone conversations that he got from Zim. But then again, Dib never sent any letters. His heart chimed an unusual chord when he read it. It gave him a rush, so to speak, and his whole body became flushed and his heart rate quickened.

It said: **Ready? If so-- I know you know I always was. Zim**

Scrawled out and messy, it was something that made him rethink things. But he was scared shitless to even think of replying. Johnny was the only one he confided this in; he was someone you could trust, no matter what.

"Hello...? Helloooooooo?" Johnny shook Dib from his thoughts. "Anybody home?" He tapped Dib's head jokingly, waiting for a reply. Nothing.

"You're thinking of him, aren't ya? The note he sent you??" Dib scowled lightly, but it faded into a confusing jumble of sadness, yearning and a sense of loneliness.

"Yes." He finally said, his eyes far away and distant.

Johnny looked at his best friend and sighed. It was so painfully obvious how his friend felt for Zim... and even more painfully obvious that Zim felt the same.

Dib just couldn't grasp it, almost _didn't_ want to.

Johnny, usually fun with his charismatic and comical persona, similar to Dib with his obsession with the paranormal, didn't try to crack any more jokes, he knew now was not the time to play games.

He hugged Dib warmly. "Go to him, you know he needs you." Dib sighed deeply.

The next day, he replied Zim with a postcard he bought from a nearby gas station.

...Flashes of the past swirled endlessly.

**You bet. See you soon. -Dib.**

**Smile for me.**


	7. The Meeting

**The Meeting.**

Dib walked up to the familiar bright green house.

He dropped his things to the floor. And he ran to the door, excited and nervous all at the same time.

He knocked. _Knock, knock, knock_.

An answer. Gir greeted him with the usual stupid grin. "YEEEESS?!" Gir squealed.

"Hi Gir!" Dib grinned, "Zim home?"

Gir stared blankly at Dib for a moment, then lit up. "DIB!!" And with that, the tiny little robot jumped on his head, hugging him.

"Big-head BOY!! I MISSED YOU... SO DID _MASTER_!!" He screamed.

"I know..." He said softly, flinching at the high-pitched squeals, petting Gir's antennas. "I missed you guys too."

"GIR! Get off the Dib-thing! NOW!" Zim yelled, throwing his arms up to accentuate the point.

"Yes Sir!" Gir saluted, glowing red for a moment, only to turn bright blue again. Promptly, he jumped down and ran, giggling all the way to the Television. Scary Monkey Time!

"Zim.."

"Dib..." A smile. Just what he wanted to see.

A crushing embrace. A collective sigh.

"I missed you too." Said Dib breathily.

Zim left Dib's warm body and looked at him, his eyes full of surprise, a good kind of surprise, and a tiredness in his features. He took Dib's hand, "Come in.. Come in!!" Said Zim anxiously.

Dib smiled. "Let me get my things first."

"Yes.. of course."

Dib came back in, and dropped his things on the carpet, closing the door behind him.

Zim threw off his disguise, and they saw each other for the first time in a long, long time.

Zim did grow a little, about the height of 5'2.. Dib standing at exactly 5'6. From the looks of each of them, they seemed to be taking notice of every little detail, almost taking it in... breathing in each other's presence.

Dib's cheeks darkened, and Zim cocked his head to the side.

"What's wrong with your flesh Dib? Its changing colors..." He lifted a non-existent eyebrow.

Dib chuckled nervously, and the blush darkened. "Its... a blush... it happens when your nervous."

Zim smiled. "Hungry?" Dib sighed, a little relief splashing his features. '_Good, he didn't press it... He must know me too well. Damn nervous as it is_.'

"No, no thanks."

"Sit down, we shall chat..." Zim concluded. Dib sat down and looked at Zim as he sat down gently, a few inches away from Dib. In front of them, Gir was droned and hypnotized by the television screen.

It was quiet, a comforting kind of quiet. Dib decided to break it after a few minutes.

"So... how have you been Zim? You look worn out.."

Zim sighed, "I've had some rough nights."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I was thinking about... um, things."

Dib smiled. '_His way of saying,_ I've missed you._ He never does say things outright.'_

"You?" Zim looked to him intently.

"I've been good. Even better now."

That seemed to fly right past Zim's head. "That's good. The... um.. Collage.. I mean Co..College? It worked out well, yes?" Dib giggled a little at Zim's pronunciation, it was kind of cute.

"Well, I graduated towards the top of my classes, and I made some friends, scary huh?"

Zim's eye twitched. "Yes, scary indeed."

Dib took Zim's hand, "Zim... you don't know how much I've been worried about you, ever since I left... you seem so," _How can I put this articulately?_ "So different."

Zim looked away for a moment. "Well, I.. uh..."

Dib squeezed his hand tighter. "No secrets?" He whispered in a way that showed Zim that he cared.

"No secrets." He confirmed.

"I've been... thinkingofyoutoo.." He said quickly, trying to cover up the way his antennas perked up and then down again as he said it.

Dib laughed outright. Zim looked away. "It's not funny!" Said Zim, in a disheartening sort of tone, and Dib loosed his grip on his hand, and Zim slipped right out of it.

Dib stopped his fit of giggles immediately when he heard that tone.

"Sorry..."

"Don't worry about it... don't worry about _me_! I'm fine!"

Dib scooted closer. His heart tugged at him briefly but intensely.

"Zim, look at me..." He said softly, gently.

Zim looked at him, into those soft amber eyes. "You know I can't say no to you.. you do it just to torture me!"

Dib smiled sadly. "I do?..."

Zim coughed, "I guess I torture myself, huh?"

Dib blinked in surprise at the mature tone in his voice. "Maybe. We all do that sometimes."

Zim nodded. "Hey, Dib?"

"Yes?..."

"Come with me, I want to show you something."

"Ok.."

"Its sort of a grad.. graduation present of sorts."

Dib smiled. "Aww, you shouldn't have."

"I shouldn't?"

Dib rolled his eyes affectionately. "No, it's a human expression."

"Oh."

Zim took him in his underground laboratory, looking almost exactly the same as he left it, with slight changes. "Wait here." Zim said with a huge grin.

"Sure." Dib waited patiently as he looked around.

Zim came back, minutes later, a small package, wrapped in blue wrapping paper. It looked like a seven year old did it. But Dib thought it was endearingly _Zim_. He wouldn't have it any other way.

"What is it?!" He squealed, trying to take it from Zim's seemingly pale hand.

"Open it."

Dib unwrapped it greedily. There, once it was opened, he saw a case-enclosed disk, a scrawled out, 'To Dib' was slightly smeared, but he could still read it.

Zim smiled. "Remember we used to take Gir's old video camera thing and make the home movies?" He grimaced. "Home movies, like humans say, yes?" He was desperately trying not to sound stupid. He waited.

"Yes..." Dib's eyes shinned with the memories. Zim sighed in relief.

"I saved it all. I have another copy, but this... I made for you."

Dib couldn't take it anymore. He gently placed the disk on a table and threw himself at Zim, embracing him, never wanting to let go. Its been _too_ long.

"I love you." Dib spouted out, and it only took a moment to realize what he just said to know how right it felt to say it. To put words to it, and make it real and it meant so much. Everything illuminated and he then knew what Johnny was trying to tell him all along.

Zim didn't always know the meaning of this word, even after Dib tried to explain it to him once before, but...

But to hear Dib say it, so naturally and out of the blue, it was... _Mystifying. Dazzling._

Something Zim couldn't quite figure out until he heard Dib say it.

Dib, in a fret of shock and embarrassment, jumped out of the embrace. "Ah... oh shit... I'm sorry.." He jumbled and blushed again. "S-sorry."

Zim looked at Dib, and something in those dark, crimson eyes glimmered. Dib knew he didn't mess up this time.

He noticeably calmed down.

"Do you... really?" Zim asked in slight amazement. He was sure Dib meant it, just by the way it was said, but the words just slipped.

Both of their minds swirled.

Dib looked at Zim intensely. Something hot and moist seemed to fill the air.

Zim sighed in a breathy, passionate sort of way.

Dib took a step toward him.

Time froze for a second. Eyes locked, melted, froze. All over again.

Zim leaned toward him, his breath shallow and hot. Dib leaned in a little, following his every move.

In a frenzied state, they both embraced, holding each other so tight they thought they might faint.

Dib was pushed roughly against a examining table, with such a force his hand slide unto it, papers and files labeled _Important_, or _Top Secret, No Peeking!_ fell languidly to the floor. Zim leaned his face softly into the crook of Dib's neck, breathing in his scent, taking in every imperfection and mark, anything he could see as bare flesh, his hands still wrapped around Dib's back. Dib moaned softly, feeling Zim's breath on his neck, the beat of something similar to a heartbeat, and he was intoxicated.

Dib purred. "Zim.. kiss me..." He said in a deliriously pleasant voice.

Zim looked up and looked confused for a moment.

Dib leaned in and closed the gap, throwing his arms around Zim's neck in heated passion. Zim's eyes widened and he looked confused no more.

They lip-locked, pecking feverishly and intensely, until they both could take it no more.

Dib nibbled on Zim's lower lip softly, and in an deep, sated moment...

_(Splash. Splattered. Screams.)_

They felt whole again.


	8. Always Rings Twice

(A/n- The quotes reguarding the movie are not mine, they are property of James M. Cain, the original author of this _amazing_ story. I advise ya'll, if you haven't already seen this, **watch** it!! This is based off the 1946, classic black and white film starring Lana Turner and John Garfield. Enjoy!)

* * *

"Whatcha watching?!" Zim queried, a camera blinding Dib's view of the screen, the little peephole placed obnoxiously close to his face.

"Move over a little, I can't see." Zim complied, moving over to the side.

Dib looked at the screen then at the camera, "The Postman always Rings Twice." He beamed. "It's just about to start."

Zim lowered the camera, "What's that?"

"About murder, deceit... and plus it's very well acted and schemed."

"Ah, I see." His eyes looked at the screen, then Dib. "Is it about aliens..? Dissection?" Zim looked puzzled and almost queasy. Dib chuckled.

"No, no way... it has nothing to do with aliens. Not _this_ time, anyway." Dib reassured with a teasing tone, but nonetheless it was reassuring. Dib chuckled a little, dispite himself.

Zim sighed in relief, sitting down.

Dib's eyes lit up, "What's with the camera?"

"Oh, this is Gir's, I decided since I'm most likely here for good, I should get into more 'humanly' things." Dib giggled.

"Like home movies?" Dib offered.

"Umm... sure!!" Zim replied with a dumb expression. He would ask Dib more about these 'home movies' later.

"Watch this with me!" Said Dib excitedly. "I think you'll like it."

"Ok..." Zim sighed, placing the camera on a side table, recording them quietly. Soon, they both forgot about the camera and Dib, as well as Zim sat in comfortable silence as the movie started. An affair, a murder, crime after crime, love, a trust broken...

And the funny thing was, Zim was _really_ getting into it. For some odd reason, it struck a chord with him. It made him think a lot about himself.. Dib, his life in general.

_Frank:_** _That other girl. She don't mean anything to me._**

_Cora:_** _She told me you were going away with her._**

_Frank:_** _Why didn't I? I planned to leave and never come back. Why didn't I go away and never come back? Cause we're chained to each other, Cora._**

_Cora:_** _Don't tell me you love me._**

_Frank:_** _I do.  
_**

_Cora:_** _Oh, but love wouldn't mean a thing to me._  
**

_Frank:_** _Do you hate me?  
_**

_Cora:_**_ I don't know. But we've got to tell the truth for once in our lives._**

_Now that was what hit the nail on the head_, Zim thought with a sort of epiphany. Dib was engrossed in it, leaning his head comfortably on Zim's shoulder. Dib tried to explain some things, pointing them out, making brief comments throughout the movie. Zim, merely shushed him, trying to concentrate, Dib just smiled. It was almost eleven, and Gir was already passed out next to them.

They both sighed. The end drew nearer and nearer, and both were slowly but surely moving closer and closer to each other.

"Almost like we're a family," Said Dib softly. Zim looked to Dib, smiling. "Yeah..." Zim replied. Dib leaned in closer, feeling extremely comfortable and at ease, Zim tried to ignore it, but he kind of liked being close to Dib. It made him feel safe, yet unsure at the same time.

The final moments set in, and both were entirely entranced.

_Sackett: _**_Suppose you got a stay of execution, a new trial, and acquittal of killing Cora. Then what? Last night, they auctioned off the fixtures of the Twin Oaks. The man who bought the cash register found a note in the back of the drawer. He brought it to me. It's addressed to you. Cora wrote it. It's a very beautiful note, Frank, written by a girl who loved a man very much. I imagine it was written earlier the very night she died. A note of farewell, isn't it? _**

_Frank:_** _She did try to run away that night._  
**

_Sackett:_** _And since she had no idea anyone would ever see that note but you, it therefore has in it just enough of a confession to convict you of helping her kill her husband. So, if you were to leave this room because you didn't kill her, you'd soon be right back here again for helping her kill Nick. What's the use?  
_**

_Frank:_** _Then, then what's gonna happen to me is not because I killed her?_  
**

_Sackett:_** _No, laddie. For killing Nick.  
_**

_Frank:_** _You know, there's somethin' about this that's like, well, it's like you're expectin' a letter that you're just crazy to get. And you hang around the front door for fear you might not hear him ring. You never realize that he always rings twice._ Sackett: _What's that?  
_**

_Frank:_** _He rang twice for Cora. And now he's ringing twice for me, isn't he? _**

_Sackett__:_**_ That's about it._**

_Frank:_**_ The truth is, you always hear him ring the second time, even if you're way out in the back yard. _**_Not wanting Cora's spirit to think he did away with her, in the last lines of the film, Frank accepts his fate with one final prayer request. In the climatic ending, Frank asks the priest to make things right with Cora so that she will know that her murder was only an innocent accident:_** _Father, you were right. It all works out. I guess God knows more about these things than we do. Somehow or other, Cora paid for Nick's life with hers. And now I'm going to. Father, would you send up a prayer for me and Cora, and if you could find it in your heart, make it that we're together, wherever it is?_ **_(The priest nods)_

Dib smiled and turned off the television as it closed to the end. "You liked it?" Though Dib could already tell by the amused, strangely amazed expression on Zim's face, he still wanted to hear the afterthoughts concluding such a dazzling spectacle.

Zim nodded, "It was interesting. I liked it... Humans are alright." He looked at Dib when he said the last part, and they both smiled.

"Hey, it's late, I'm gonna go... I'm beat." Dib said tiredly.

Zim agreed with a slight bow of the head, "Yeah, me too. Hey..." Zim started.

"Yeah, Zim?"

"You think that it will ring twice for us? That we both could get a second chance?"

Dib puzzled on this for a moment, trying to figure out if Zim had another meaning to this. "Yeah, I suppose it will." He trailed off... "Bye Zim!"

"Bye, Stink-Breath!" Zim laughed, Dib merely shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"My breath doesn't stink, yours does!" He said, walking out the front door.

Zim chuckled, but then looked worried. "My breath is _fine_!" He said reassuringly. But Dib was already gone.

_...Swirls..._

It. "Time is UP!!" It said uproariously. "You've had e_nough_ Time!"

Dib was dizzy, his thoughts and memories seemingly caught in time, but soon it vanished.

Dib tried to keep a little of the good ones, but they all slipped away. In the inner workings of his mind, he tried in vain to get them back. _Nothing_.

"A question, Mr. Membrane. Answer honestly and bluntly. Do you have any important aspirations or goals you haven't completed in your life? Something that you need to finish, but couldn't because of this unfortunate event."

Dismayed and lost in turmoil, words seemed to dissipate into drivel, and his eyes were locked somewhere, far away.

"Dib... Are you there?" It said in a soft, comforting voice. Dib's mind silenced and he looked up.

"Yeah..." he said, frowning. "What did you say..?"

It repeated the question with a trying patience in its tone.

Dib pondered for a moment, "Um..." A moment later, he realized something.

"Yes, I think that I do. Why?... Am I still _alive_?" The question naturally came out, and It blinked. "You said my mortal body is keeping me from my soul? Right?? What is this, _really_? Huh?!" Said Dib in inexplicable light, his mind clearing and his eyes looked upon It with a accusing stare.

It sighed. "You asked what had happened to Zim, yes?"

Dib's face softened. "I did."

"Well..."

_Swirls._


	9. Silence

Next Chapter: **Silence**

* * *

"Well..."

_Swirls._

**Splash. Splattered. Screams.**

_...Swirls..._

A resounding echo.

_Screams go unheard... _

All he wanted to hear was Dib's soft, comforting voice. One more time...? Then _maybe_ he could bear it. _'Is it so much to ask?!...'_

_I do love you, you know?_

He sobbed with a hoarse wheezing, blood splattering in tiny specks of yellowish-green gore.

_'I'm just a fucking joke... even his voice is _mocking _me!'_

He was in a florescent-lit room, bonded securely to an autopsy table. Highly focused cameras examined him on every corner, every inch, and the door was bolted shut. His pak was uncooperative and he was _barely_ conscious, but to make sure he didn't die until _after_ they were done with every single horrible test they would inflict upon him, they had many tubes and pulse reading equipment attached to his body. On the side of his 'resting area' there was sterile tools, long serrated blades, smaller ones, each with its own disgusting reality. _They were for_ him.

In another room, monitors were set up to keep watch on him 24/7.

Dib saw Zim, but Zim didn't see anything. Except maybe the blinding light, and soon there was nothing but a soft, fading echo.

_Nothing will keep us apart._

Helpless and distressed, Dib was paralyzed. He could do nothing but float above the horrendous scene, like a broken angel, without his wings.

Before Zim passed out, mostly out of sheer exhaustion, Dib heard a horrible voice, laced with over the top concern and humanity: _"Yes, Officers, that thing, whatever it is, which my colleagues and I believe is an _alien_, murdered that boy, its just our luck we came here before we could save him, we were too late..."_

A second later, he was thrust away from Zim and set into another scene. He saw himself, covered in blood and bruises, lying in an ambulance. A sheet was then covered over him. Zim was lying half alive, delirious and sobbing, saying over and over, "I didn't do it, I love him, I didn't do it, I love him..."

The spies lied straight faced and told an _outlandish_ tale of them outwitting the insane alien just in time, but not soon enough to save the _poor_ boy. The officer nodded and wrote it all down as if his live depended on it, other officer's followed. Dib tried to scream for Zim... nothing came but...

_Swirls and drips into..._

**Silence.**


	10. Final Ring

**Next chapter: Final Ring**

* * *

It looked upon Dib with a quiet patience. "So... did that clarify your answer a bit more?" 

Dib blinked and found himself in a pleasantly lit room.

No answer. It sighed.

"Do you know why We asked you that question? You seem to have lived a life in a mostly altruistic and passionately protective stance of others around you, although you never had any real support, except from your friends. You have found a Love that many can never claim to have or keep. You have succeeded in life in more ways than one, and although you can claim to no real sins, the only things that can be considered sinful are trivial and not worthy of my examination."

Dib's eyes widened. No one has ever gave him any credit for these things, not really... at least, nothing of _that_ magnitude and eminence.

"Thanks, I-" Dib started.

"I'm merely stating the facts, Mr. Membrane." Dib smiled, despite this statement. "Anyway, considering your philanthropic and humble deeds, you have been greatly honored with this chance. A chance to save your lover's life. I'm sure you will have no qualms about this answer."

Dib was speechless. He had never heard his entire life so bluntly stated in honest, honorable terseness. He wasn't chastised, and he was extremely relieved he wasnt going anywhere... _unpleasant_.

It seemed to read his thoughts. "We do not waste our time here, so as such, Judgment on trivial things, like many humans do on earth, do not concern us."

"Please make your decision." It concluded.

Dib pondered seriously on this, but he was still very confused. Everything he has seen and heard seemed to be meshed together, and although some light was shed, he didn't think he knew everything he needed to know.

"Is Zim going to die?" He asked suddenly.

"He... there's a very good chance within the next few weeks. They, like Us, don't seem to want to waste time."

"Can I save him?"

"There's a chance."

"There's always a chance... Is this our final ring?"

"What...?" It asked in confusion.

"Um, never mind..." He smiled knowingly.

"Then, I think I know what I need to do."

It sighed shortly. "There is one more thing... you need to know."

"...Yes?" Dib looked up and saw the shadowy figure amongst the light.

"If you do intend to save Zim, you must know that you will not survive. This is the only chance."

Dib winced and...

_Swirls..._


	11. Suspicion

**Next chapter:**_ Suspicion_

_

* * *

Swirls..._

_Zim looked at Dib deeply, their lingering conversation going deeper and deeper... and he was really starting to see how Dib felt for him, though he had a _**very**_ good idea from the earlier confession. And it was still imprinted freshly in Zim's mind, a moment that he will never forget._

_It has been exactly two weeks since they saw each other for the first time in years, and they had a lot of catching up to do. They decided to take things slowly with their new found relationship... and for now, it was working out _awfully_ well, dispite thier bickering, which was normal... but by no means were _**they**_ normal._

_And yet, much to Dib's dismay, Zim hadn't relayed to him if the love was returned. But inside, deep down, he could feel it radiating from Zim. The _love.

_Dib stared straight back. Words, deep in his heart, came naturally graceful from his lips as he spoke, holding unto Zim's hand._

_"To say I desire you.. to say that we desire each other, is to suggest something needs to be fulfilled, something _unfulfilled_. No, I tell you here and now, no matter what happens to you, or me, or us, whether things change, for better or for worse, know that my soul is _full_ because of this. This, what we have. What I have. _**You**_. Nothing as sketchy as desire will take hold of me, I assure you." Dib looked sincerely into those lovely eyes of quirky brightness and a strange... how do you say? Fondness. Yes, a fondness. A certain fondness that seemed to tie all of the mess and bullshit that they have encountered into a single, solitary thought._

_Love... True honest to God,_

_...Love._

_Zim smiled nervously, "I'm speechless.. its just that.. you think of the most... well, it makes me feel so...good inside." Zim whispered the last part nervously as though admitting his feelings would give him the death penalty. Dib looked at Zim, and smiled. Zim finally let go and relaxed.  
_

_"So, did you, you know?" Zim asked tentatively, knowing Dib would know what he was talking about._

_Dib nodded. "Yep, I did... I mean its funny, no one in the Swollen Eyeball ever really took notice of you before... and duh, it was _**so**_ obvious." Dib teased his lover, and they both just smiled, Zim lying on Dib's chest comfortably listening. "But, they have been really getting onto me about the 'hideous alien' ... and they think I'm hiding something. I told them, 'No, there's nothing to hide, but he's _**not**_ a threat anymore... he's gone. Left to go back to his home planet, I'm sure... haven't seen Zim for years.' and they look at me like I'm nuts. So, my plan is to just cut off all communications with them. For good. I'm sick of it, Zim."_

_Zim immediately shot up from Dib, jumping from the couch. "For _**good**_! Dib!! Are you sure that's a good idea?!" Zim's crimson eyes were wide and full of worry and concern. "Don't you think it will _**raise**_ suspicion!!" Zim said incredulously._

_Dib shook his head, "Don't worry, no one will know," Dib comforted. "No one will ever know. No one but us..."_


	12. Pulse

(A/n- Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been working on this chapter for quite awhile... ugh its been difficult since this story is more complex and works in a way that is _intentionally_ disorientating, hah, so I confuse myself. Lots of things have been going on lately, school, friends, etc... so expect chapters to not be as frequent as it was in the beginning. Don't worry, I will finish this!! maybe haha)

_Next Chapter_: **Pulse**

* * *

"Holy _bleedin'_ Christ!" Exclaimed a wide-eyed paramedic; "we got a pulse!" The white, dreary sheet was tossed frantically aside, as other medics ran to the ambulance to check if said pulse was there. Many checked his vitals and blood pressure, and though it was weak, it was there, though consciousness wasn't. It was decided he was comatose, and was taken to the nearest hospital.

Despite this fact, Zim was already whisked away with one lone police car, though many followed. The Swollen Eyeball Network was to be the next stop. For further "investigation of its unknown species" they said. Since the police already labeled the killer, and it was indeed another species, _alien_, they were given the jurisdiction to take him. They were asked for the address and number of their scientific laboratory, _their_ numbers, and since they were witnesses, they signed statements. They were asked if they knew who the victim was, and one of them replied they thought he was the son of the well-renowned Professor Membrane, but couldn't be sure, but of course, they _knew_. The police contacted his work cell immediately to confirm of this, and he was shocked about the situation, _flabbergasted_ because he **knew** that Zim and Dib were very close, and was also more than a little surprised to find out 'the little green fellow' to be a real alien. And suddenly the remorse of never believing his son set in. He called Gaz at her work and she said she didn't believe for a second that Zim had anything to do with it. With her usually indifferent behavior, she acted pretty shocked and strained about the situation.

It was said that after the full investigation, the alien would have a broadcasted autopsy, unless new evidence would come to their attention, or Dib would wake up from his coma. Either was likely.

The blood on their clothes was evident, and though it was obvious to one of the many investigators, the police disregarded it due to fact they were the only witnesses that had the guts to help. One of them noticed that there was more blood on the witnesses than the accused, and it was unconstitutional that just because the condemned was alien (though nothing was said about how to deal with aliens of another planet in this manner, obviously.) that he was the first to blame. Said investigator, named Jack Contell, was first to speak about the flaws in their story, but it was again disregarded. Oblivious wasn't the word to describe these people. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and stated he wanted to take the alien in for questioning, and many looked at him in horror. He then explained he wanted to do some of his own tests, and get the alien's side of the story, (however ridiculous that sounded to others.) and they compromised with him. He would get one hour, then the Swollen Eyeball would get the alien. Dib was already stripped and put into hospital clothes, and the sullied clothes were taken to the lab for study. His other colleagues thought it was only fair, so they agreed. They would take Zim's clothes once they got to the station, but he was heavily handcuffed and shackled just in case. His disguise was already taken off, though it was already basically destroyed during the struggle.

He took Zim into his cop car, and decided since the little alien was sobbing and incoherent, he would take a comforting approach, but nonetheless _direct_.

"So, what's yo' name?" He said in a deep, raspy voice, as he took a drag of his cigarette. "I'm Jack Contell, call me Jack, I'm head of this invest-.." He was quickly interrupted.

"Wh-wh..why should _ZIM_ tell you an-...anything...!!" he said in a horrible gasp, choking on his sobs. "Wil-..will you **please** throw that infernal thing out!" Zim screamed. Contell looked strangely at Zim for a second, but complied.

"Zim, is it? Well Zim, you seem to be in one hell of a situation. All I can tell you once we get you back to the station, calm yourself or things might get worse."

"I...I..I-I DIDN'T KILL HIM!!" Zim sobbed.

Contell nodded curtly. "I think it's mighty unfair they be treatin' you like that, all on a count you're a, well, alien. I don't think ya done it... the evidence against those quacks is too high for you to be considered any kind of suspect. But procedure I guess." Zim's eyes seemed to pop of his head when he heard '_I don't think ya done it_'... and his tears almost immediately dissipated. Contell smiled. "But despite this, you'll be escorted to some Swollen Eyeball lab... I don't know about it... I believe they had something to do with this. Its all very fishy."

Zim exhaled sharply at the sound of that name, and groaned in pain, not being able to speak anymore.

"Do ya think you might have any evidence supporting your case? Well, I had a feeling the way you was goin' on and on about how you _love_ him." Contell explained. "Oh and just to let you know, on account of since you ain't a real citizen, they didn't read you your rights, so anything you say and do can and will be held against you."

Zim choked a little, his crimson eyes tired and angry, half-lidded in exhaustion. "I-I.. I think so..." He gasped out.

"Its so-something I was gonna giv-give hi.. him. Its in my front pocket.."

"Really? That's interestin'... its weird how we didn't think to check all that. Its like we never think anymore." He chuckled humorlessly. "We thought the only evidence would be from that pak thing you got on your back. Hey..." He pulled up to the station. "We're here."

_Swirls..._

**Dib's eyes widened as he pieced it together... he **wasn't** dead.** _Yet. Was this the chance I was given??_

Zim...

(_Wonder why he wanted me to throw out that smoke... ah, it _can't_ be...)_

_Swirls..._

_Could_ it be...?

**_Swirls..._**

"This is the chance to say goodbye..."


	13. Heated

**Next Chapter**: _Heated_

* * *

_Swirls..._

"Dib, I _doubt_ their suspicion has ceased..." Zim stated wearily, rubbing his temples, as he was growing tired of this argument. It was an on-going discussion. "I mean, its been a week since you told them, but I guess I'm still paranoid-ish. I have this feeling of us being _watched_."

Dib sighed. "Zim," He said in a trying patience. "Everything will be fine."

"I don't know about this." Zim lowered his eyes to the ground.

"What? You d-don't trust me? Is that it, huh?!" Dib's voice was growing louder and louder with each word he spouted. "You think I'm gonna betray you?!"

"Of cour..."

"No! I don't want to hear it!! Fuck off!" Dib yelled, jumping from the couch, his eyes in a heated glare.

Zim looked up and his eyes became very intense. "Fine, be that way, you HORRIBLE WASTE OF FLESH!" He screamed, throwing his arms in the air.

"MISERABLE ALIEN _SLIME_!"

"WE KNOW I'M AN ALIEN _DIB_!" Zim screamed sardonically. "WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO, PERFORM AN _AUTOPSY_?!" Zim seethed, but immediately felt guilty for saying it.

And with that there was a twinge of hurt that formed in Dib's chest. His eyes lowered as he bit his lower lip. Angrily, he walked to the door, threw it open, and slammed it shut.

"How did I ever..." Zim started, but flinched as he heard the door slam.

A exasperated scream came next as Zim threw himself on the couch. He buried his head in the worn cushion.

"How did I ever come to love you so much?" Zim whispered, then his eyes widened. He knew. It made him feel strange, and though his subconscious Irken brain was trying to tell him that 'Love' was fleeting and not important, an overwhelming sense of radiant, devoted passion cold-cocked his past straight through its selfishness and pride.

He got up quickly and ran for the door, but not before clumsily slipping on his disguise, swinging the door open.

"DIB!! Wait!!" Zim yelled hysterically. "Wait Di-Dib!!" Dib was already down the street, and yes, he heard Zim. But no, he wasn't going to turn around and acknowledge it.

Zim sighed harshly and ran as fast as he could. It seemed like Dib started walking slower, but he tried to ignore his own betraying feet. His eyes were looking straight ahead, no where else.

Finally, out of breath, Zim caught up. "Wa-wait!!"

Dib stopped and turned around just slightly. "Why?!" Did asked bitterly. He was beyond offended.

"Because..." Zim walked closer to his newfound inspiration, and took Dib and turned him around, so that they could face each other.

"I don't want..." Zim locked eyes, and caressed Dib's neck softly. "you to go."

Dib's eyes softened, but then widened as Zim pulled Dib lower and caught him an angry, tempting kiss, yet it was soft and spoke to him.

They brushed their bodies against each other. Dib gasped harshly and kissed Zim even angrier, intensely. Zim liked that, it was kind of like when they were enemies.

Only Zim loved this kind of fight. It was new and... dare he say it?

_Heated_. **Hot**.

Zim pulled his body closer to Dib, biting his lower lip hard, and he sucked on the cut as it bled. Dib whimpered and drew closer, but Zim had other plans. He immediately grabbed Dib's hand.

They walked quickly to the creepy, glowing green dwelling, straight through the kitchen...

Soft sighs... caress my body... touch me,

Make me yours. _Forever_.

Into the lab... Hot, gasping whimpers...

Touch me... kiss me... OH JUST KISS ME!

Hands locked, soft whispers... "I love you..." Dib whispered in a way that was dominating.

On the floor...

..._Swirls_...

_moans... sighs... screams.._

Of Pure Fucking Ecstasy.

Drips into...

Maddening Release.

...Swirls...

Light and Darkness.

...Swirls... Deeper...

Touch me.

_Swirls..._

**Memories.**

SWIRLING...

(Its... well, I'm pregnant.)


	14. Consciousness

(A/n: SE means Swollen Eyeball... and this is _**Consciousness**_.)

_**

* * *

**_**Swirls**...

_Reality hits. Gasps._

**Swirls**.

Blood. Screams.

Wide eyes, _horrible _screams. Ripped from his arms.

**Swirls**...

_SWIRLS...!_

_STOP, OH IRK PLEASE STOP! NO, PLEASE, GIVE HER BACK! Y-YOU BASTARDS! OH, SHIT, STOP!  
_

_Sobs, choking, blood..._

"_Extermination_ Room Two." A horrible voice sneered.

_... PLEASE!_

swirls

_DON'T YOU HURT HER! DON'T YO... ple-please.__  
_

_Swirlssssss... _(All a dream, a dream.)_  
_

Reality hits.

(I'm telling _you_, do _not_ under any circumstances tell them about it. **Not under any circumstances**... and from all this physical evidence, and maybe if I can get Dib's family to testify, I can try to and _hopefully_ convince those dopes that you're innocent. They don't know anything 'bout your kind so don't give them reason to think you gotta bun in the oven, got it?)

Gasps. Eyes widen, screams.

"Holy SHIT! It's pregnant!" One of the SE members screamed as he did his usual checks on the alien. "Hurry up and take a look at this!!" He called, as others came in.

"YOU KEEP AWAY FROM...!" Zim screamed in a miserable fury.

Then everything went to **black**...

"This is agent Contell, I have clearance to check on the alien. We have new evidence supporting his innocence, and the victim is-" He was rudely interrupted by a snippy voice.

"I'm sorry, but do you have a search warrant to verify this?"

"I'm head of this little _investigation_," He almost laughed at himself for a moment, "so I advise you to let me in this instant or I will call reinforcements, in fact, they're all around the perimeter of this god-forsaken place." He said in a very even voice, but it also had a warning, saying _'Do not mess with me.'_

"Yes _sir_..." The door was opened and many were looking upon him with an evil glare.

Contell merely smirked and showed his warrant and badge with a calmly collected look on his face. But inside, he was frantic and needed to get to Zim before they hurt him anymore than they already have.

"Show me to him, **right now**." One of them horribly grinned and obliged.

"Follow me." A menacing voice spoke, pointing to the secured door, as he began unbolting it.

"No funny business, or I will cold-cock every single one of you cold-blooded gits." He threatened, wiping his mouth till it bled, and they didn't say a word, though the grins remained plastered on their faces. He kept the emergency alarm quickly within his reach, so if he had to, he would sound it off, and his back up would break in and shoot them all if worse came to worse.

"We have hardly made any progress, the subject is very _uncooperative_. We just found out that it's _pregnant_. We have decided to, after it's born to test on it for awhile. But we aren't gonna tell it that. We'll just say-..."

Contell barely bit down his scream, and instead he just punched the vindictive bastard out.

"You'll do NO SUCH THING!!" Contell fumed. He sounded on the alarm as the others came after him, in a furious ire. Almost instantly, the police and FBI burst in and...

"Stay right where you are, keeping your hands where we can see them!" One of the cops stated, as semi-automatics were pointed at their heads. They immediately did as they were told, and were arrested. "You are all to remain silent, unless you want to lose your **fuckin' heads**," The other cops took their time and painfully cuffed them. "We're warning you, conspiring against the police, directly withholding information from the FBI for these serious crimes, will not settle well in court. And we have enough evidence to support that you are the willful participants in these attempted homicides. Your forced DNA was all over the victim, _and_ the alien, so keep yer mouth shut."

Contell, his gun cocked and ready to shoot if needed, as he calmly took the unconscious agent's keys, but not before putting him in handcuffs, kicking him towards the others.

"ZIM! Zim are ya there?!"

He was unconscious, blood was splattered. Contell didn't know much about alien birthing, but he sure did know, from his wife's pregnancy in the past, that he needed a Cesarean operation, otherwise know as a C-Section, because that baby wasn't coming out any other way, he was way over-due. Zim had told him previously that his kind rarely became pregnant, due mostly because they used different methods, like cloning. So acts of reproduction were only in case of emergency, so both males and females could carry babies, or _smeebies_ from what Zim said. Pregnancies only lasted about nine weeks, and its been a week past the due date. He barely showed because of his lack of treatment and nourishment. That's all he really knew.

"CALL AN AMBULANCE, WE GOT TO HELP HIM, _NOW_!!"

Little did Zim know, in his unconscious state...

Consciousness was already...

_Gasps._

(**Holy-... He's awake**!!)

Found.


	15. In The Mood

(A/n: Here's a flash into some recent memories.)

**Next Chapter**: _In The Mood_

* * *

They were driving home from a job interview, and Dib was excited and seemed to be confident. It was a job working at a hospital, the psychiatric ward, and it just seemed a good start for him. He applied for becoming the hospital's psychologist, (there _were_ none, mostly crazed nurses and psychiatrists that had a thing for drugging kids up.) for he knew quite a lot about mental illnesses, eating disorders, and was good with kids, cause, quite frankly, Dib was young as well at twenty-three. Dib had always thought about helping out young adolescents, and he knew what it was like to be called _crazy_. Zim scoffed at the idea of helping out "sniveling little worm babies," as he put it. But inside, Zim knew it was important to him, so he came along. But then again, Zim found any chance he could to be with Dib.

There was a comfortable silence between them, except for the radio softly playing some Stevie Ray Vaughan, one of Dib's favorite songs. _The Sky is Crying_. He softly hummed along to it, then something came to him.

"Hey, what do you think of meeting my friends, tonight? And Johnny, I think you'll like him."

"Umm... no. Zim doesn't think so." He made 'little sicky noises' to show Dib his disgust.

"Yeah, well I haven't seen anybody for a _month_. And well... they wanted to meet **you** too."

Zim sighed, "Is it _my_ fault you haven't seen them?"

"_No_... I just thought.."

"And when _exactly_ were you gonna tell me this?" Zim's eyes narrowed at the thought. "I _didn't_ **know** you had made plans, and that _Zim_ was involved with this 'meeting'."

"Look, it would mean a lot to me for you to meet my friends, and Johnny... well he helped me realize..." He stopped, and went on. "Anyway, I wanted everybody to meet _my_ Zim." He said with a certain delight.

Zim rolled his eyes. "Zim belongs to **no one**.." He muttered. Dib heard it, but went on.

"And well, Johnny already knows your... well he likes the paranormal too." Dib coughed nervously and set his eyes to the road.

Seconds rolled by. Then... **BOOM**!

"You _told_ **HIM I WAS AN ALIEN**!!" Zim roared incredulously. Dib flinched, just about slamming into another car, but hit the brake just in time. Angry honks came his way.

"Damn it Zim... calm your ass! Everything's fine!" He took Zim's hand and gently stroked it, knowing how it calmed him down. "Its not like I haven't told people before and well..." Zim wasn't sated, in fact, he was even angrier, violently snatching away his hand from Dib.

"That has nothing to do with it, and _You_ KNOW IT!! They never believed you, anyway." Said Zim triumphantly.

Dib sighed harshly, "Look all I meant was that we can _trust_ Johnny, ok? He's a good friend of mine."

"We? Zim knows nothing of this 'we'!" Zim scoffed. "You seem to trust him _so_ much, why not just be with him!" Zim asked. Dib looked at the road blankly, his eyes scattered, hurt and betrayed.

"How can you say that? You... do you have any idea... how much.." _you mean to me?_

Silence filled up the car. Zim frustrated at his own stupidity, sighed.

"Dib, you know I didn't mean that. I'm just... you know, me." He said softly, inwardly chastising himself, he couldn't believe how stupid he could be sometimes.

Zim leaned over and kissed Dib's cheek softly. "...And you know me."

Dib smiled. "I do."

Zim decided to relent a little. "Anyway, this whole idea seems... odd. Anybody else going to be there... and exactly where are we meeting?"

"Oh... Krista, Tee, Johnny, Asher and Cameron. And," Dib laughed knowingly. "Johnny and Krista _finally_ got together... he-he I _knew_ it." Zim ignored Dib's latter comment.

"Ok... where?"

"I was thinking, our place?"

"What?!" Dib flinched slightly.

"Zim..."

"No, no, NO!! That place only has room for one human, YOU!"

"Yeah, I guess... I mean, your house is _weird_ anyway." He grinned widely.

"No it's not! It's perfectly normal. _Zim_ IS **normal**! And you live there TOO!!"

Dib laughed immediately at that outburst. Zim just rolled his eyes and turned to look out the window.

"I wonder when you're going to tell those Swollen Eyeball people that you're through with them...!" Zim said testily.

Dib grunted. "Soon, ok? I just need a little more time so I can reassure them.."

"Of what? That I'm really gone?!" Dib bit his lower lip. "That I _really_ left your smelly planet without a trace!"

"_Soon_, alright?!" Dib's patience was wearing thin.

Zim scowled. "You know, I wanted to do something for... ahh _forget_ it!"

Dib looked at Zim oddly, and pulled the car into the driveway. "What are you talking about?"

Then all of a sudden, his eyes widened. "Oh shit, Zim, I forgot I'm _so_ sorry, I-..."

He was cut off curtly by the sound of Zim opening the car-door, walking angrily into the house.

"_Happy_ anniversary indeed." Zim growled. "**The** **_one_** **time** Zim remembers a stupid human tradition... stupid _Dib_ forgets..." He barked, talking to himself. Zim sighed irritably.

Dib walked in, worn out, as he put his keys on the coffee table. "Look Zim, I've been so preoccupied lately, I haven't really been thinking of us..." _Oh, that sounded worse._ "I.. I mean, it's just that..."

"No, just stop! I don't need to hear anymore. I had plans for us tonight, but its just not gonna happen. I'll meet your little friends." Zim smiled weakly. Dib frowned.

"I'm gonna take a walk. Be back soon, I guess."

"Ok..." Dib said sadly.

_A half-hour later._

Zim walked in, and saw Dib lying on the couch. Music was blaring. Glenn Miller's _'In the Mood'_. Zim knew how much Dib loved Miller, it was a quirk he liked about Dib, though he would never say it aloud.

Dib got up and had a bottle of whiskey in hand. "He-hey Ziiiiim..." He garbled, lazily drawing out Zim's name. "Daaaaance _with_ _meeeeee_!!" He got closer, throwing the empty bottle on the floor. Zim could smell the alcohol heavily in the air.

Zim sighed, "Dib, you're drunk." Then an evil idea. He got the camera and turned it on.

"Hey Dib... say hi to the camera!!" Zim smirked.

Dib grinned stupidly, poking the camera, "Hiiiiiii..."

Zim settled the camera down and took Dib's hand, but he stumbled and fell, Zim tumbling straight on top of him.

Dib giggled and gave Zim an awkward Eskimo kiss. Zim's left eye twitched and Dib slurred and laughed hysterically.

Zim got up, pulling Dib up gawkily, Dib's eyes settled intensely on Zim.

Zim rolled his eyes, but before he could get out of Dib's grasp...

_Pennsylvania 6-5000_ started.

The pace quickened and Dib started swinging around and twirling Zim excitedly. Zim finally gave in and laughed along with Dib, and he... was happy. He was having fun.

**Fun**. Such a foreign word. In the past, fun meant total destruction and chaos.

But now, fun was **Dib**, and him, _together_.

The last song played. _Moonlight Serenade_.

Dib suddenly wrapped his arms around Zim, whispering sweet nothings, accidentally pushing off Zim's wig, stroking his antennas like he would with silk, Zim whimpering slightly, frustrated cause he knew Dib would probably pass out soon.

"I'm s-sorry." Dib garbled, and Zim nodded, purring now as Dib broadened his strokes.

Zim was caught between pleasure and knowing that Dib was trying to be serious.

Dib stopped, looking at Zim with a pleading, almost tempting look.

"Its--"

Dib's eyes rolled back and he became limp in Zim's arms.

"Ok."

_Swirls..._

"Your parental unit was beautiful..." Zim sighed as he looked upon the old, worn picture. Dib giggled at Zim's reference to his mom as a 'parental unit'.

"Yeah, her name was Mariko, isn't that a _gorgeous_ name? Its Japanese... she was really fond of the culture, as was her parents."

Zim looked at Dib, and smiled warmly. "Zim likes it." _Because _you_like it_.

"Everything was so good before she left us... dad stayed home a lot more, mom.. she..." _always loved us.._ "We always had fun.." _together_.

Zim eyed the picture of Dib's mother, with her pale violet eyes and beautiful raven hair, her smile warm and demure, yet her eyes shone with a certain sophistication and strength. Zim lightly traced the photo with his gloved hand, fingering over her features.

He looked at Dib. "Mariko... that's a good name." He said simply, and Dib smiled.

"My mom always told us she couldn't wait to have grandchildren, but she _could_ wait for us to grow up.." He laughed, and Zim looked at him in confusion.

"What?" Zim lowered the camera, placing it to look at the assorted pictures.

Dib sighed. "Nothing, it just means, she wanted us to enjoy being young, but she wanted us to grow up too so.." Dib paused. "She loved kids.. I guess."

"Does Dib want little worm babies too?" Zim teased. Dib playfully hit him in the shoulder.

"_Yes_... why?"

"I don't know I mean..." _I've never really thought about it.._ "I think it would be.." _nice._ "different. What do you think?"

"Us?! Having kids?!" Dib eyed Zim strangely.

Zim burst into laughter. "No!!" _Actually, I wonder if we could._..

Dib looked slightly disappointed for a moment, but then smiled. "Yeah, stupid, huh?"

Zim stopped laughing. "Yeah..." _not really._

"Well, if we decide to or something, adopt or..." _you could?_ "yeah, I want to name one of them after my mother."

"Yeah... that sounds.." _amazing..._ "amazing."

Dib looked at Zim carefully, wondering if he had temporarily gone insane, or if he had heard correctly. Either way, it came to the same conclusion.

"Really?"

"Yeah.."

_Swirls..._


	16. Creeping

_Next Chapter_: **Creeping**

* * *

Gasp. Choke.

_Swirl_, **Swirl**... _**Swiiiiiiirl**_...

_Memories, violent swirls everywhere, jumbled_. Then... it all _disappeared_.

Eyes flutter open. White, blanched white. _Everywhere_.

A sobbing scream.

A nurse rushes in.

"Holy-...he's awake!! He's _awake_!! Thank _Jesus_!!" The nurse exclaimed in a expressive voice, pressing the emergency button near his bed. She could see that he was having problems taking in enough air, so she gave him the breathing mask, placing it over his mouth, and soon, his breathing was better, but still uneven. A couple other nurses hurried in soon after.

"What's going on?" One of them inquired. Then, a short collective gasp from the nurses indicated they realized it. "Oh my.. he's out of the coma!" Another one said animatedly.

"Yeah, please have someone call his Father, and that Contell guy, he said to call if any new developments ensued. The numbers are in his other files."

They nodded and ran out of the room in a frantic, but happy state.

"Zi-...Zim? Is he.. here?" He finally managed to gasp out.

She frowned, checking his file, then hurrying onto his vitals, taking some blood. "No sweetie, is he your friend?"

Dib coughed, and looked at her dejectedly. "No.. he's my bo..boyfriend."

She smiled. "Well, hon, we're calling your father now, and if we can, we'll call him too, ok?"

Dib frowned. "No.. is he **here**?" He gasped raggedly. "In the ho-hospit..." he couldn't speak anymore, he was already exhausted. The only noise that came was a choked sob, then silence.

She looked at him worriedly. "No, sweetie, I wouldn't think so, no one has come through here by that name."

She continued, "My name's Betty, if ya need me, just holla'. Don't worry, you're in good hands." She smiled warmly, "anything ya need before I shove off to the doc?"

"Wa...water?" She nodded.

"I'll try to be quick, but please just stay as calm as possible, stress will only worsen your condition, ok?"

Dib nodded weakly, closing his eyes. She went over to him. "No, no, no.. Dib," She gently touched his shoulder. "We need you to stay awake, ok?"

Dib nodded slightly, and with much difficulty, tried to keep his eyes open.

_...Swirl._

"CALL AN AMBULANCE, WE GOT TO HELP HIM, _NOW_!!" In a scramble, the FBI took the agents away to a high-security prison, while another cop, Contell's friend Tom Weiss, called for the ambulance, barely having time to explain the situation or the fact that a male alien was about to give birth. '_Ugh, times like this I wonder why I chose this for a career_,' Weiss thought with a bit of humor.

Creeping, creeping, **creeping**. _A_ hidden _shadow_.

A grin.

_Swirls..._

"She's having difficulties, as of now she's on our feeding tube and life support, it will take awhile for her to recover before you can see her. Oh and don't worry, we won't expose her to a lot of water, its good you told us that before we bathed her, or something." She looked at Zim for a response, and he just smiled and nodded. "The time being, you are to stay with us, to recover as well. Oh, and congratulations, she really is beautiful, exotic." The nurse comforted. Having told before of the alien's arrival to somehow 'prepare' her, she was at first very frightened and shocked, but she tersely told herself this was _nothing_ compared to the other stuff she had seen before. So she smiled and accepted it, though she meant it when she complimented the 'baby'.

Zim grinned, beaming proudly. "Yeah, well... with Dib's good looks and _my_ charm, why wouldn't she be beautiful?"

The nurse almost stopped breathing. "Dib is your..." She stopped, thinking back to when her friend said something about a kid named Dib, who happened to be in a coma.

Zim looked down, then managed a smile, but it looked plastered on. "The other parental unit, and my, boyfriend." Zim said it nervously and with hesitation.

She smiled, and nodded in recognition. "Did you kno-" But it was interrupted.

"I gotta name for her."

She sighed. "What would that be, hon?"

"Mariko, after his mother." He smiled. "Mariko Guinevere Membrane."

"Oh, that's lovely." She held his hand comfortingly.

'_I bet he thinks Dib is dead_.'


	17. Vacant Stare

**Next**: _Vacant Stare_

* * *

Dib nodded slightly, and with much difficulty, tried to keep his eyes open.

_Swirl_...

Wince.

**Swirl**.

It was painful.

"Hey!!"

Swirl.

"Hey guess what Yolanda!" A voice called, not too far away from where she was sitting.

"What's it now?" She smiled, hearing the familiar tone of her friend, knowing she was going to hear some _miraculous_ tale starring one of her patients, or a _family_ miracle, something or another. She chuckled knowingly as her friend finally reached her table.

"You wouldn't believe it! That kid finally awoke from that coma. Man, I almost lost my spirits, but I _prayed_ for that boy... and his family, they seemed torn to bits about it. His sister, a cute little thing, seemed to be holding _something_ in, but I saw her tear up a little." She giggled despite herself.

She sighed. "I'm just glad he might have a chance."

Just then, Yolanda's dark green eyes lit up, widening in realization. "Wait a tic, what's his name? I remember you tellin' me about a kid who was in a coma, and.." She shot up from her seat, "We got up in the maternity ward, an _alien_...! Oh my, Betty, I tell ya, its the most extraordinary, _amazing_ thing, and he mentioned that-!"

Betty took her friend's hand, and shook her head. "Quiet now, ya hear!" She whispered loudly. "Don't be makin' a fuss, we don't need anyone knowing about it..." She scolded. "Now sit down and keep your voice down please." The other guests and patients stopped staring and went back to their own business.

She blew a stray piece of hair from her eyes and looked at Betty expectantly.

Betty sighed at her friend's impatience. "His name is Dib Membrane."

Yolanda exhaled shortly. "My patient was talkin' about him earlier today, about _their_ kid, and I think he thinks Dib is dead!"

"Dib was asking for .. what's his name... Zim?"

Yolanda almost spit out her coffee. "Yes!"

"That's your patient, I'm guessing. Well, we have quite a predicament here."

"What? Why?" Yolanda really wanted to see her patient reunited, especially if he thought Dib was dead, and he wasn't.

"I think I may know a little more of this situation that you do, Dib is in a very stressful state, just woke up, and I'm sure Zim is just as bad off, it wouldn't be good to just surprise them so suddenly without a second or third opinion. Not to mention their doctors, Yolanda, we're just nurses. Its not our place."

"Yeah, I agree, its just that... he is a very strange patient, and I don't mean cause of _that_... but its just, he really frightens me sometimes. So I see what you mean."

"Tell me more." Betty was oddly interested in 'strange' cases. She was thinking. Yolanda didn't know if she liked the look Betty got in her eyes when she was plotting, so to speak.

"Well he has seemed to be blocking a very traumatic event, from what his psychiatrist said, and sometimes he relapses. He can get very hysterical, disillusioned in his thinking. Sometimes he thinks we are from this thing called, Swollen Eyeball, or whatever, and we're gonna slice him open, for Christ's sakes! I have to admit, I do protect him, I am fond of him. He seems fond of me too, he talks to me all the time."

She stopped for a moment to take a swig of her coffee. "Well, he hasn't talked of Dib since today, so I guess he is slowly coming to terms with whatever happened. One night, I was checking on him, and well, I know he doesn't sleep, but he seemed to be in a trance. He kept muttering, sobbing, saying something like, '_I _never_. Never, never, never.._' over and over. It kills me, Betty, it really does."

Betty nodded and took hold of her friend's hand. "I got something to tell ya. Maybe you will understand. I'm surprised no one told ya of this situation before. It would've helped you a great deal, I suppose."

Yolanda looked down, almost scared to hear it.

SWIRL.

_"I'm sorry... I really am, we did all we could."_

_"...What?"_

_"She's... dead."_

(Splash. Splattered. Screams.)

A vacant stare.

_Screams._

Once Betty retold most of of what she knew, Yolanda seemed to understand.

"The thing is I really want these two to see each other. How about we ask around and see if we can rearrange something? Maybe in a few days, maybe a week, or something?"

Betty sighed again. "Alright. But don't let Zim know until _we _know for sure."

"Fine with me, girl."


	18. All Lying

**All Lying**

* * *

A vacant stare. 

A revelation.

_Swirl_...

Crimson eyes widen.

"Y... YOU'RE _LYING_! YOU'RE ALL LIARS! SHE DIDN'T DIE; SHE DI-...DIDN'T DIE! YOU TOOK IT! YOU TOOK HER!!! YOU'RE.." Zim screamed, flailing about desperately, and once again, they had to restrain him. The woman that had spoken to Zim about the disquieting news quietly slipped away from the hysteria, a masked smile ready to quirk her features at any moment. "...ALL LYIIIING!!!" Choking, gasping sobs... screams of frantic disbelief.

**Creeping**, **creeping**, _creeping_.

She instead kept her grin to herself, having sedated the one-week old Mariko, having convinced everyone of her death.

Mendacious and false-hearted concern laced her words.

"We did all we could..."

She was the 'coroner'.

But the only dead body she wanted to tinker around with...

was Zim's.

_'And maybe that fucker Contell_.' She added amusingly in her mind.

"_GET THE HELL AWAY, ZIM _**KNEW**_ YOU WOULD TAKE HER_!!!"

Echoes of ominous mirth.

Strolls away without a trace.

_Swirl_.


	19. Little Slices of Death

_Little Slices Of Death _(A/n: I don't know why, but this is my favorite chapter so far! Enjoy!!)

* * *

"Hey Dib, there's something I'd like to tell you."

"What is it?" In a daze.

"Zim... he's here." Dib's eyes lit up immediately.

He just about jumped out of the bed in surge of extreme shock and excitement, but instead, coughed violently and laid back down.

"Oh Dib," Betty chided coolly, "Try to keep relaxed, its not good for your condition to get so excited like that so fast. Though I _don't_ blame you."

Dib was breathing heavily in profound restlessness; his eyes wide and dilated.

"Wh-...whe...when ca-can I see hi-..." He gasped out. His whole body was sore and it was painful and tiring to move even slightly, and even worse, he had a seemingly ongoing migraine.

And he hardly slept.

_Dreams seemed to never come, but life always found a way to delude him, and in some twisted way, his life became his dreams, and everything seemed to want to point at him and laugh, laugh, laugh._

Sleep, those little slices of death; oh how I loathe them.

_Light_ and **Darkness**.

_Oh you Joker, sleep doesn't make you feel dead..._

**Sleep and dreams and dreams and sleep, reality and subconscious, memories, the only way to know if anything is real...**

**Well, who knows, right?**

_Laugh, laugh, laugh._

**_Swirl_**.

"Dib? ... Dib!" Betty's voice fell into deep concern, trying to snap Dib out of it, whatever _it_ was.

"I'm... ok." He managed to say.

"Ok, well." She sighed in relief. "As to your question, you can see him after dinner tonight. But the thing is, he may or may not be the same as he was before... well you know."

Dib nodded slightly, he didn't really care, he was so sure Zim had died, or had been captured, he had _so_ many things to discuss with his love.

_Laugh, laugh, laugh._

Swirl.

_"Before you see him," Yolanda sighed, "Well, I'm sure that Betty warned you, but he might get hysterical, he might..." She trailed off, and looked as though tears would soon pierce her jade eyes. "I don't know, just be careful..."_

_Just as Dib thought he was going to get to go in the room, the two woman started talking up a storm. _

_Dib was getting irritated and very tired, he thought he might as well just roll his wheelchair into the room, and just as he was about to; their loquacious conversation came to an end. Yolanda already was wheeling him in._

_Swirl._

Zim looked ghastly. His skin was pale and sickly, his antennas were drooped lowly, patches of discolored bruises, and my god... it was horrendous. _'Did_ **I**_ look like this_?'

A surge of rapid and intense emotions swept through him, and he exhaled sharply in the surreal nature of his reality.

Dib looked like shit to say the least, his longer, dark raven hair, usually so soft and easy to manage and style, looked like it was sticky and clumped. He guessed he hadn't had a _real_ shower since he had been under. His skin was a pale yellow, and his jaw was bruised and dislocated, his left eye was a dark purplish color, and the rest of his body was just sore and tired. But, slowly, he was recuperating.

Yolanda wheeled him up to the bed slowly. "Hey, Zim... wake up sweetie, you have a visitor. And I know you don't sleep..." She teased lightly.

"Why... no one... comes... see Zim..." He mindlessly garbled.

"No, Zim, listen, Dib's here... he's here for you!"

Zim, in a instant, shot up from bed and glared at Yolanda, not even noticing Dib was sitting right there next to him.

"Do _NOT_ lie to **ZIM**!" He growled, "You will **RUE** th-"

Yolanda flinched and took several steps back, ready to call for help at any moment.

Dib, in a frenzy, unconsciously took Zim's hand and pulled him toward the pillows. Zim fell back immediately at the strange pull, and was forcibly faced with the tired, familiar golden eyes of his...

"DIB!" Zim gasped, flabbergasted and he felt as though the wind was taken out of him within an instant, only to be put back in him. His whole body hummed with quickened excitement.

Dib was overpowered as Zim took him in his arms, pulling him on top of him.

The two ladies looked in slight amusement as Dib's stunned expression was countered with Zim's extremely content expression.

Zim wrapped his arms tightly around Dib.

"Oh Dib, I thought you were dead! I thought I'd never see you again.." Zim said painfully.

"I know baby, I'm here. If I could've seen ya sooner, I would've."

"Dib, I love you." Zim said only Dib could hear, so gentle and so passionate. He wondered if Dib had heard him that day, when he first had said it.

Dib nodded and kissed Zim's neck.

The two ladies took this as a sign to leave.

A few minutes later, which seemed like an eternity, Zim remembered the news he had to tell Dib.

"Hey.. uh Dib." Zim started nervously.

"Yeah?"

"I got something to tell you. Please don't be angry. I was going to tell you that day... and-"

"Just tell me, Zim. Please." Dib's eyes shone with understanding.

"Dib, we have a... daughter." Zim flinched without reason, and when Dib saw that, Dib took Zim's hands and smiled brightly, but inside he was shocked beyond words. Zim opened his eyes and saw that smile, breathing in slowly. He took it well. Thank Irk.

"Oh Zim! Really? Have you seen her? What did you name her? Well, how is she? Healthy?"

Zim almost laughed at Dib's string of questions, it showed he really did care. But of course, Dib was the one who wanted kids in the first place.

"Her name is Mariko Guinevere, as we agreed on," Dib's eyes smiled. "She's not too bad health wise. Um," He really didn't want to worry Dib too much. "I haven't got to see her yet."

"Why not, they should, you are the... mother!" Dib blushed.

"Well, Dib, if you want to know the truth, she's very much undernourished and is under something called, 'Intensive Care'... but I was informed she will survive."

"That's great! I'm so happy!"

"Yeah..." Zim flinched a little.

Dib stopped smiling.

"What's wrong?"

"So much has gone on... I really thought you died. I saw them put a sheet over your body! And I was taken by your Swollen Eyeball thing! They were gonna kill me, expose me, they were gonna do horrible things.. If the authorities didn't come, me and our daughter would be dead..."

Dib gulped, taking it all in. He realized he couldn't digest it. He couldn't do anything but listen. He had to be there for Zim.

"They pinned your murder on me! Me! God, Dib... I wanted to die..."

"What matters is that your safe now, and so is Mariko." Dib said very quietly, his eyes wet. "I'm so sorry..." Dib said so softly, Zim barely heard him.

"How do you know! Do you think they'll just let us go, Dib! We're _aliens_, we'll be experimented on the rest of our lives!! And though our daughter's only half-Irken.. it doesn't matter to them!"

Dib firmly asserted, "**No**, I _won't_ let that happen to our daughter, or you... never." He softly kissed Zim's temple. "Ever."

"Please just stay with me..." He sobbed horribly. Dib caressed him softly, deliberately slow, trying to calm him down, because Zim's behavior was making him very nervous and it unsettled him deeply.

"I'm here."

Finally, the two left, giving them some time to just** be together**.

Zim relaxed slightly, pulling Dib closer to his frail frame. "Don't go..."

Dib leaned over to the side of the bed to get more comfortable, but Zim wouldn't let him.

"This bed is big enough for us, Zim, I'm just gonna lay-"

"NO!"

"Ok, ok..."

"Just... gonna rest.." Zim garbled again.

"No, Zim! Please," He leaned his lips gently upon Zim's cheek, brushing passionately against his weathered flesh. Zim shuddered, his antennas flexing and relaxing as Dib's soft hand reached to stroke it gently from his fingertips. "I've missed you _more_ than you can imagine Zim, don't close those beautiful eyes... I want to see them." He whispered sensually along his flesh, lower to his neck.

"Zim.. tooooo..." He purred.

He opened his eyes half-lidded, and frowned slightly.

"You belong to **me**, so don't scare Zim like that again..."

"I won't." He said apprehensively, because in the back of his mind, something told him not to make such a promise.

"I don't believe you." Zim said immediately. "There's something wrong, isn't there?"

_'Damn it, Zim just _**had**_ to be perceptive at a time like this_...' He stopped his ministrations, and though Zim whined slightly, he got over it quickly.

"I... don't know," He answered honestly. "I just have this horrible feeling."

"Zim too."

_Swirl._

A doctor came in a little later, announcing, that within a few weeks, when everyone, including their daughter was healed, they could be released. Zim was wary of this, but Dib was happy enough. Everything seemed in order.

* * *

(A/n: I have some interesting news reguarding Zim, earlier to-day I looked him up on wikipedia, and something caught my eye, it said Zim was 16 when he arrived at earth, well sixteen in Irken years, but 159 in earth years. Oh that made sooooo excited! Cause lots of people think their relationship, _if they had one_, would be pedophilia, cause supposedly Zim's wayyy older than 16, perhaps even an adult. But certainly that's not the case. In my story, Dib's 23 now, so if Dib was 11, not sure about that, when they first met, ummmm... Zim's 17-_ish_ as one of my reviewers said, and thats only about a 6 year difference! Not that much at all!! Oh, I tell you, I was so happy, hehe, I ran upstairs to tell my sisters, which, they don't really support it, but they tolerate it. Anyway, that is all. Hopefully I got my facts straight! And if your a ZaDr fan... SPREAD THE WORD!! unless ya already knew hehe)


	20. Unspeakable Things

(A/n: AHHHHHHHH!!!!! **WARNING**: Highly DERANGED and Strange Seduction methods, in other words, MATURE CONTENT!!! Skip the part that is highlighted in **BOLD** if you're easily offended.) **Next**: _Unspeakable _Things

* * *

"Us?!! Having kids?!" Dib eyed Zim strangely. 

Zim burst into laughter. "No!!!" _Actually, I wonder if we could_...

Dib looked slightly disappointed for a moment, but then smiled. "Yeah, stupid, huh?"

Zim stopped laughing. "Yeah..." _not really._

"Well, if we decide to or something, adopt or..." _you could? _"yeah, I want to name one of them after my mother."

"Yeah... that sounds.." _amazing_... "amazing."

Dib looked at Zim carefully, wondering if he had temporarily gone insane, or if he had heard correctly. Either way, it came to the same conclusion.

"Really?"

"Yeah.."

_Swirls_...

Both looked at each other in a odd sort of quiet.

Zim turned the camera off.

Dib eyed him with a quiet curiosity, as Zim looked straight back at him, a look that seemed unfathomable even for _Zim's_ standards.

Time seemed to stand still, until Zim broke the contact, absentmindedly looking at the other pictures.

Dib sighed.

"You know," Zim started. "I've always wondered why you've never talked about your other parental before, I just thought... I don't know. I don't have parents as you would think of them." _cause I don't have any, not if you count a cold, unfeeling robot arm._

Dib started to speak, but stopped.

"Tell Zim." He encouraged, shaking his head. "Tell me," He corrected.

"I.. well I don't know how to explain it. I was so young, maybe six or seven."

"Well, you've remembered other memories before that, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, just try. _Insolent_ fool boy." Zim teased, walking over to Dib's bed, urging the other to sit with him. "Zim is-.. I'm curious."

Dib sighed to himself and complied.

Zim sat quietly, waiting.

Dib took off his glasses for a moment to rub his eyes in thought.

"You look good without those _hideous_ glasses." Zim complimented, sort of, as he grabbed Dib's over-sized glasses for inspection. "You need... what do they call it?"

"Contacts?"

"Yeah, those things." _You have really nice eyes, _**too**_ nice to cover them up like that_.

"I've had these glasses forever." _And_ _I _hate _them_...

"All the more reason to get rid of them, stupid worm-baby."

Dib grinned. "Whatever you say, Zimmy." He snatched his glasses back and put them on.

"I told you not to call me that!" Zim grumbled. Dib just laughed at him.

"_I _like it..."

"_Apparently_. Maybe Zim should give you a stupid nickname!"

Dib shook his head. "No! You can't!" He giggled.

"Ummm... how about _stupid moron_? Or, BIGHEAD!"

Dib pushed him off the bed. "No way... my head's NOT big!!!"

"SHUT IT IN THERE!" Gaz yelled. "I'm talking to my BOYFRIEND! So help me, I will do _unspeakable_ things to both of you unless you _shut the fuck up_!"

Zim chuckled. "Sure Gaz!"

Dib's cheeks flushed ever so slightly.

Just then, Zim's eyes lit up. "Dibbles!"

"What...?" Dib quirked his eyebrow in confusion.

"That's your new name! DIBBLES!"

"Oh, that's _stupid_!"

"Not as stupid as DIB is!"

Dib pinned Zim to the floor. "Take it back!" He said, trying to cover up his grin.

"Never!"

"Then I'll have to punish you...!"

"_Punish_ **Zim**? Wh-"

His next words were taken away as Dib leaned in to kiss him dominantly.

Zim wouldn't have it.

In a single fluid movement, he flipped Dib over and pinned his hands above his head.

"_Who_ did you say was gonna get punished... oh that's right, _Dibbles_!"

"I hate that!"

"Well, I hate _Zimmy_! You don't know how to punish _properly_ anyway!" Zim sneered. Before Dib could even _think_ of a witty comeback, Gaz's booming voice shrieked over them.

"_SHUT_... **UP**!!!" Her tone was getting darker and more ominous by the second, and both of them knew they _better_ mind or something they **both** hold dear would be dismembered, or _worse_.

"Ok, I promise I won't call you, _you_ _know_, but only if you don't call me Dibbles." Dib whispered, relenting.

"Deal."

**Zim grinned leaned forward, his body pressing temptingly close to the other's warmth. Dib's ensuing sigh seemed _pretty_ close to a moan, and Zim, upon hearing this, smirked even wider and took away the brief contact.**

**"You're so mean."**

**Zim tilted forward, as though he was gonna kiss Dib, but immediately drew back moments before lips could touch.**

**"I know. But at least I _know_ what I'm doing."**

**"I _hate_ you."**

**"Zim too." He said, digging his claws into Dib's forearm.**

**Dib hissed, but inside, he loved when Zim became _animalistic_ and rough with him.**

**He leaned forward towards Dib's left ear. "Tell me, stink-monster," Zim jeered, "Do you _enjoy_ pain?"**

**Dib's eyes lowered. "Only if _you_ inflict that pain, Zim-_dear_."**

**Zim grinned. "I could... do _anything_ to you right now... and you wouldn't be able to stop me..." He said in a low, hot whisper.**

**Zim could tell just by the look on his face that Dib was getting off on his dirty talk. _'What a freak, _my_ freak, but still, a freak_,' Zim thought sadistically, but he knew he got off on it just as much as Dib did.**

**"_Anything_... I could slit that _pretty_ little throat, or... fuck you senseless..." Zim twisted his claws deeper into Dib's flesh, biting harshly on the cartilage of his ear. "_Maybe_ even lick you clean if you're good."**

**Dib couldn't hold it in anymore, as he let out a low, guttural moan. "_Zim_..."**

**Total submission.**

**_'Perfect_...' Zim thought.**

**In a flash, Zim got off of Dib and stopped his painful, yet extremely tantalizing seduction, succeeding in his punishment. '_For now anyway_.' But...**

**Dib was trembling, sighing softly, all _hot_ and _sweaty_. All _ready_. For Zim.**

**There was only so much Zim could take, and upon looking at that scene, his little plan backfired, cause _damn it_, Dib looked good enough to eat.**

**He _wanted_ Dib... and it killed him to admit it.**

**'_Damn it to Irk, he _always_ gets me in the end_...' Zim thought with just a hint of amusement.**

**While Zim was lost in his thoughts Dib jumped up, as mysterious as a cat, and lunged at Zim, sliding their hot bodies across the bed sheets.**

**Zim finally took the plunge and set his sights on Dib's lips, ravaging him, intensely sliding his claws along Dib's back, down to his ass, giving it a good squeeze before slipping underneath the cloth...**

"What in the _NAME_ OF SCIENCE!" _Is that a girl_...?

Dib, in heat of embarrassment, kicked Zim off the bed, blushing profusely. Zim seethed, growling at Dib. _I hate when he does that!_

"Dad.. I, umm..."

"What's going on, son?" ... '_Though its _**quite**_ obvious from _that_ little scene..._' The Professor thought amusingly.

"Dad, I just... Zim and I.. well..."

'_Oh... its the little foreign fellow, he looked a girl with that long hair_...'

"We're together, as it would seem." Zim said simply, though his tone was quite amused.

"Oh... son, are you gay?" He didn't have a problem with it, he always had a suspicion, actually, he almost expected it.

"Umm, no I'm bi, I just.. I was going to tell you, but..."

The Professor chuckled merrily. "Oh son, its ok, I understand. I know it would've been difficult since I'm always away, but I came home early to take you and your sister out for dinner."

"Oh, so its ok I'm with.."

"Your little foreign friend? Yeah, he can come with us too, if he so wishes."

"I would _love_ too, Dib-father." Zim said with an excess sweetness. Dib rolled his eyes.

He smiled through his lab coat. "Ok then, we'll leave in a few! Oh and Dib,"

"Yeah?"

"Next time, lock your door." _Please_...

Zim chuckled, "We will."

Dib's cheeks darkened as his dad left the room, promptly shutting the door behind him.

Zim lost it, laughing his ass off once they were left alone.

"Shut up! Its not funny!" _It kind of was, actually._

_Swirl_.

* * *

(A/n: If you didn't read the **bold** part, just know that they were doing something prettty naughty, but not overtly sexual, that's why Dib's father reacted like that.) 


	21. Twisting

_Finally, a _rest_. Finally... _**dreams**. 

_Swirl_.

"I love you..." Zim spoke softly, caressing Dib's neck in a sensual but unconscious gesture.

Dib sighed contently.

"You've always hated me."

Zim eyed him carefully. "Yes. But I love you."

"Makes sense, huh?"

"Always did to you." He chuckled humorlessly. "Humans understand these conundrums."

"Oh really? And _such_ a big word for you to use."

"Of course... Zim is genius!" He said with a gleam in his eyes, pointing up to the air, but soon he collapsed on top of Dib in a fit of hilarity. They both chuckled.

"_Sure_ Zim.." Said Dib in a overstated sarcastic tone.

Zim lunched forward and kissed his love's lips, languidly taking his time, slowly licking Dib's lower lip, _teasing_.

Dib wasn't surprised, in fact, he half-expected it. But he didn't kiss back, though minutes were passing by, and Time was a factor in this.

"Ah," Zim stopped and started to speak. "But _you_ have always hated **me**."

Dib chuckled. "And...?"

"Well, if we can hate, we can love."

"Well said." _Leans in..._

_Screams...!_ Gasp_, wheeze... "_Daddy_...?"_

_Swirl_...

Awake. Eyes delirious as if still lost in the dissipated reverie, _moans_... **Screams**...

"Dib! OH _DIB_! Wake up! Something horrible! _Just_ horrible has happened!!!"

Dib shot up, his skin damp and his eyes perpetually intense and dilated, his hands wringing and clenched around slightly stained white sheets.

"Wh-what?"

Betty ran to the bed and sat on the edge, her body movements and language increasingly frantic and impulsive.

"Its... Mariko!"

Dib immediately lost all sensation to feel.

"What about her?" He said monotonously.

"She's... oh Dib! She's _dead_!" She cried.

Dib shut his eyes tightly, tears threatening to pierce there way.

"Is.." His throat suddenly became dry, and his mind swirled, going, going, going way too fast for his actual speak. "Zim... Where's Zim?!" His voice progressively becoming frantic, stumbling upon his words.

(_point and laugh, laugh, laugh_...)

"He's... been sedated. He couldn't take it, Dib."

"I need, I need... to see him!" Dib scrambled to find the right words. "He needs me! _Please_!" He opened his eyes and looked at her pleadingly.

_**Swirls**..._

_She collapsed suddenly, gasping and choking on her sobs. "Oh God.." The cigarette was still burning. She could smell it's intoxicating, burning stench hanging heavily in the air, as her mind swirled with voices..._ (How can he be my son?) _her mind swirled and she was lost in... shock, pain... she couldn't breath as her lips started to turn blue, and she felt like her insides were_ **twisting, twisting, **_twisting._

_"Need... inhaler..." she rasped, clawing frantically at the carpet, deliriously. "_**JAMES**_!"_

_"You.. know how bad... my attacks... can get!!!" She said, taking in wheezing gasps, through her sobs. _(I couldn't tell you then, you were so happy...)

_"MOMMY!" Dib cried. Gaz was already awake, looking upon the scene, helpless and wide-eyed as her brother ran frantically down the stairs._

_"Get... m-my inhal.." Cough, wheeze, gasp, wheeze._

_"Mommy! I'll save you!" Dib exclaimed, running around, frantic and crying, trying to find daddy. "Where are you daddy?!"_ (I implanted those memories, so you would love them as they were your own... and you have.)

_"_Daddy_...? **DADDY**!!!"_

_Swirl._

"Zim's under careful watch, he's safe. I know this is a shock.. so Dib... _please_."

"No! Take me to him, _right_ now! Our daughter's in danger, _can't you see_?!"

"In a few days-"

"I don't HAVE a few days, DAMN IT!!! She could die in a _few_ days!"

Betty sighed. "Dib, calm down. We'll talk."

"_NO_!"

* * *

**This chapter**: _Twisting_


	22. A Fondness

(A/n: Audrey, aKa Microwaved Noodles, heres to ya! I thank you for the tremendous _'to me'_ appreciation you have shown towards this fic, its really very sweet. I inspired someone! hah, ME? Anyway, thanks for all of your support, as well as everyone else who has reviewed this story... I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing skills, as I am quite the perfectionest when it comes to my writing.) **Chapter**: _A Fondness_

* * *

"Your **INSANE**!!!" 

"_Mariko_-"

"NO! How could YOU _DO_ THIS?! WHY!!! Tell me God _DAMN_ YOU!!!"

Hysterical, she screamed, tears streaming down her blushing cheeks, her fists clenched in rage and confusion.

"You _know_ why... I did it for you." His voice was desperately trying to remain calm. "And keep your voice down, you don't want to wak-"

"For _me_?! What about **_them_**? What would they do-"

"They won't find out." Said Membrane, almost choking on his words.

"No... NO!!! I can't take it James, I _can't_!"

"Mariko.. please... understand! I had to, we couldn't have children any other way, and we both know how _much_ you wanted kids."

"It's cause your so damn _effete_!" She lowered her head, her eyes frantic, chaotic. "_I_ can have children!! You lied to me! You knew how much it meant! You knew all this time, AND YOU KEPT IT FROM ME!!!"

"...Listen, please-" _you know you can't have children_...

"No! You think you can fix everything, huh? Its always been your _damn_ pride, your _damn_ science, who do you think you are? The incarnate of Dr. _Frankenstein_!!"

A tiny voice. "Momma?"

A gasp.

"Yes, honey?" She whispered painfully.

"Are you sad?" He rubbed his eyes, biting his lower lip nervously. She gave him a tired hug, scruffing his hair affectionately.

"Oh honey, I'll be fine. You know, its way past your bed time, young man." She smiled at him. "I'm sorry we woke you."

"Is daddy ok?"

_Daddy_ was currently in the kitchen, lighting a smoke, a habit he had long since tried to quit, opening a bottle of Excedrin. He popped a few in his mouth, letting them dissolve slowly on his tongue. He took a drag.

She looked over at her husband, glaring at him briefly in disgust, then looked back at her son. "Yes, he's fine, dear. Now do mommy a favor, you do have school tomorrow, and we don't want to wake your sister up, do we?" She wheezed slightly, tears ready to fall again at any moment.

"No, I checked, she was a' scared cause of the yelling, but _I_ tucked her in." He stated proudly. "She's ok now, I hope."

**Damn**_ him, he knows I have asthma. That smoke_...

"Oh, aren't you the best big-brother, she's a lucky one," She kissed him softly on the forehead. "Now do try to get some rest, for me."

"But will everyth-"

"Y-" She coughed suddenly. ..._is really getting to me_...

"Yes. G'night babe." _...everything... its too much_..

He wrapped his tiny arms around her back, whispering. "I love you mommy."

She nodded, trembling. "Yes... I love you too."

And with that, Dib went upstairs, softly closing the door.

"Get in here, can't even say anything to your son, can you?!" She whispered hoarsely, her coughing spell worsening.

"How can he be my son? He's already showing defective behavior, what with his obsession with aliens, that _can't_ be from my genes." He stated, walking tiredly into the living room, leaving his half a cigarette burning in the ash tray.

"How can you _say_ that?" Her voice was incredulously disheartened, and threatening to, at any moment, fly off the handle once again. "They're _just_ children! Don't you _even_ care?!" She coughed louder, almost trying to get his attention to the smoke.

"I do have a fondness for them, but-"

"A _fondness_?!" She rasped.

"Mariko, just shut up! My head aches, and I don't need your yelling."

"Oh, baby," She mocked, walking into the kitchen. "Why don't you just," She grasped unto the bottle of Excedrin her husband seemed so 'fond' of and threw it at him. "_Take_ your medicine! Take **all** of it!!!" She cried, wheezing more harshly now.

The bottle hit him square in the face, and with all his might, he threw it back, shattering through the kitchen window.

"YOU... _NOXIOUS_ BASTARD!!! YOU GET OU-OUT OF HERE, RIGHT NOW!" She said in between gasps and coughs.

"DON'T HAVE TO TELL _ME_ TWICE!"

**Slam!**

She let out a frustrated, trembling scream.  
_Swirl_...

_"I always love you Mariko... I'm so sorry. I'll try to be a better father.._ they deserve it_..."_


	23. A Place to Hide

**_Can you give me sanctuary_**

_...keeping you from your very soul._

**_I must find a place to hide_**

_Creeping, creeping,_ **creeping**._ A_ hidden **shadow**.

**_A place for me to hide_**

Swirl.

Zim coughed, "I guess I torture myself, huh?"

Dib blinked in surprise at the mature tone in his voice. "Maybe. We all do that sometimes."

**Violent** _swirls..._

**_Can you find me soft asylum_**

_... Is this our final ring?_

_**I can't make it anymore**_

Don't, Don't, Don't... PLEASE!!!!!

**_The Man is at the door_**

Point_ and..._

_Laugh, laugh, _**laugh**

Swirl.

**_All our lives we sweat and save_**

**_Building for a shallow grave_**

_Wheeze_... "You only lied to yourself, Mariko." Membrane spoke softly, sadly... in strange, horrible irony. "But the _only _real lie... was me." _Whisper_.

**_Must be something else we say_**

**_Somehow to defend this place_**

"I'd _never_. Never, never, never..."

**_Everything must be this way_**

**_Everything must be this way_**

_Luminous_.

**_I must find a place to hide_**

_Sweat, tears... blood... screams_

_"Nothing can keep us apart."_

**Swirl**...!

"My mother... she.. dad said she couldn't take it, whatever _it_ was... I was so young. I just heard bits and pieces." He rambled, shutting his eyes tightly briefly, _trying_ to remember.

_**A place for me to hide**_

"What was it?" Zim inquired, nervous... _dreading_ to hear... something he wasn't ready for.

"I heard... he said something to my mother." He leaned forward, his eyes trembling. "I've never... told this to _anyone_ before..."

Zim was quiet.

"I heard dad say to mom... '_Their not really yours, Mariko... their not really _**ours**,' ... I don't remember anymore, I _can't_, but ever since then, it's haunted me..."

"What?! What does that _mean_?!" Zim gasped.

Dib shook his head. "All I heard next was screaming... yelling... Zim," His eyes teared up slightly, wavering, pleading as though he wouldn't, _couldn't_ say anymore.

Zim took Dib's hand, almost like a involuntary reach. Dib took in a deep yet shallow breath.

"I saw... I saw my mother _die_... I co-couldn't save her!"

Zim looked at Dib unfathomably.

"I didn't know where ... her inhaler was. And I tried to call for dad... he wasn't there.."

"Dib... its not your fault!" He exclaimed, though... he really didn't understand. He didn't think Dib really understood either.

"He _wasn't there_... but then again, he's _never_ really been there.." _Swirls. _Echo.

"You can't blame yourself..."

"I _try_ not to... but I felt totally responsible for Gaz. Dad became so distant from us... and Gaz, she was so shocked by everything she just shut down... she's... oh!" He lit up for a second.

"I also heard... I also heard..."

"Yeah...?" Zim was already almost in tears, everything about Dib's speech was so... intense and surreal.

"It was something like, '_I implan.. gave you those memories, so.. you would love them as they were your own... and you have_.' and my father, _no_... he can't be my real father, can he? No! And... what if I'm just a _sick_ joke to him, and Gaz.. what if she?!... He.. he killed my mother!!!" Dib gasped... seemingly piecing together his tattered past. Sobs. "He _must've_!" He cried. "That smoke... she...!"

Zim trembled. "Dib! Please.. calm down, please.."

"NO! This is like some sick dream..." He sobbed. "Bu-but I can ne-never wak-wake u...up."

Zim looked upon Dib with a quiet sadness, a love. Zim leaned forward and held him tightly.

"Please Dib... please don't cry.. I'm here... I'm here."

_**A place for me to hide**_

_hide, hide, hide..._

_Ssssswirl_.

Awake. Crimson eyes open in a frenzied, delirious state.

"_Dib_..." He cried softly.

_**I can't make it anymore **_

A soft, familiar tune hummed, resounding... _ominously_ through his soul.

_The Sky is Crying._

Swirl.

"How did I ever ..."

**_I can'__t make it anymore_**

"How did I ever come to love you so much?"

_**The Man is at**... the door_

* * *

(A/n: The lyrics, from this brilliant song, are not mine, they are Jim Morrison's, The Doors. The song is _The Soft Parade_. I would strongly recommend listening to it. Oh and this chapter might be really confusing, but it does shed some light on Dib's mother... and I would also take into account that there's many things in here that have double-meanings. There's only a few more chapters left.) **This Chapter**: _A Place to Hide_


	24. Don't, Oh! Let Go

Don't, Oh!... Let Go. (Listen to Oh! By The Breeders, _they_ inspired this.)

* * *

"Oh Zim!" Dib gasped, jumping up from his wheelchair, running to his _beloved_.

A crushing embrace.

Zim was tearing up, his eyes puffy and raw.

Dib nuzzled gently in the crook of Zim's neck.

He whispered gently, "We'll find her, Zim, we will. And she _will_ be safe."

Zim merely whimpered. He hated showing weakness... but this was too much.

Dib was taken aback, his eyes thoughtful and strange.

He leaned away from Zim.

Zim's eyes widened, as he grasped unto Dib.

"No, don't leave Zim.. don't leave me. Don't let go... Don't, Oh!..." He said painfully, as he felt a surge of pain shoot through his neck, down to his spine. It was badly beaten, as was most of his body. "Let. Go!" Zim cried, almost hysterically, leaning his weary head on Dib's shoulder. Dib hugged him back, his eyes tired and his head aching, and just the sound of Zim's exhausted, pained voice made his heart feel like it was twisting, twisting, _twisting_.

"I'm so sorry, Dib.. I'm so sorry."

Dib didn't say a word, just held on.

Soon, Zim's sobs quieted down, and it became more relaxed.

They both sighed, almost content.

They could feel each others breath.. pulsing... it was in_toxicating_. It made Dib dizzy. "Don't... let.. go..." Dib whispered almost incoherently. Zim heard it just barely, then growled at the incompetence of their situation.

"I just have no idea _when_ we are getting out of here, Dib... we can't do anything, just lying here!"

Dib sighed. "Do you know who took our smee... smeebie?" He liked the sound of that word, 'smeebie'.

Zim coughed again. "Well... there was this very suspicious woman, and I could see it in her eyes, almost as though she wanted me to see. She was the one who told me of the... our daughter."

Dib nodded.

"What did she look like?" He sighed, resting his head on Zim's chest.

"She was tall, slender... with long raggedy blonde hair, light green eyes. She had the most familiar face." He shuddered.

"You mean...?"

"I think... she was... no, she's apart of the Swollen Eyeball..."

"She must be..."

"We have to get out of here."

"Yes."

_Swirl._

"Hello there little Mariko..."

Shiny.

_Glistening._

Blade.

"I won't hurt you..."

Shiny.

_Glistening._

Blood.

"I promise..."

Pained whimpers.

_Glistening._

Light.

"I won't hurt you... too much." She grinned. "We do need our specimen alive, or at least in semi-consciousness."

Glistening.

Shiny.

S_lice_.

Blood.

"Ohhh... poor, _sweet_ Mariko. I'm sure your mutant, defective parent will come. Yesss, anytime, he will." She soothed, caressing her antennas in mock concern. Mariko immediately flinched. "Such a pretty girl..." Mariko's eyes fell into a glare, as though giving the woman a warning... as though...

"Hey, now... your starting to look like your _mommy_, heh, that's interesting, you are already taking on characteristics that a one-week old baby wouldn't even understand. Anger. But, then again, you're not a normal baby, you're a defect."

A look of utter distaste.

Cries of desperate call.

"Shh, don't cry. I didn't even think mutants could cry... hmm. But then again, I never thought a male could get pregnant." She chuckled. "I guess you learn something new everyday."

Thoughtful.

Glistening.

Hate.

She turned away.

"See ya later, _sweetie_. Nice visiting with you."

_Swirl_.

"Yes."

"Well do you want me to let out my pak legs, we can break out of here in no time.." He half-joked, but seriously, he needed to get out of this musty, florescent lit hell-hole.

"Sure."

Zim looked at him funny. "Ok."

"Seriously ?!"

"Yeah!" He laughed.

"Ok then, lets do it!"

In a swift movement, his pak legs slipped out, "Hold on, Dib, unless you want to fall and break your meaty head."

Dib smirked, holding unto Zim... as he jumped out of the open window.

(Oh Zim!)


	25. Wind Swept

Darkness.

_Light_ was blinding.

And Darkness only blinded him to...

his _Reality_.

_Am I asleep_?

Dead?

Does it matter...

_no, no, no, no, please, no, no, please, please, please, oh god, please! nononononono... WAKE UP... DIB!! PLEASE!...please... no-_

Swirl.

_"Zim.." _

_"Dib..." A smile. Just what he wanted to see._

_Swirls_...

"There's a chance."

"There's always a chance... Is this our final ring?"

_Lapse_.

A lapse in judgment.

Of reality.

It slipped underneath him, over him, away, away, _away_.

He fell to the ground, his pupils dilated, bloody.

_I'll save you._

Everything he worked for, everything he had... _Zim_... Mariko..

Gone.

Swirl.

"You were already supposed to be dead, and I trust you already figured out, you're not a Membrane. I only called you that for good faith."

"Cruel of you!" One of the three Judges called out. They all sat in the very back, looming, but kind, _just_.

"No! Necessary."

"There's nothing necessary about cruelty. He's had enough!" Another one called. It ignored them.

"Dib, understand... you were meant for so much more."

"...Than this." _Everything always comes out in the wash..._

Dib was wind-swept. Like a soul without a name.

"Who are you... what are you.." His eyes lowered into a glare, his voice terse, heated... lonely.

"I am Hades, but of course." ..._Right?_

"Where's.."

"God?" 'It'... Hades spoke derisively.

"Yes." Dib seemed lost of all hope.

"Too late to ask that... you are free. Free of everything."

**Snap**!

"Who would know? Such a good person would have this happen to him."

"I would know." Hades said, as indefinitely it stood, because they all knew this.

Dib stood, and soon his thoughts froze.

Then _Swirled_.

"Aeacus, Minos, Rhadamanthys, all of you have served your purpose. Go now, others await you."

Ghostly shadows. _Gone_.

"I can be fair too, kind. And what's in a name, really? It doesn't bond you to your soul. Names merely attempt to give meaning. Who knows what reality really is, I ask you. What _anything_ is."

Violent streaks of light.

_Swiiiiiiirllllssssssssssssssssss..._


	26. Strange

Light. 

Ligh_ttttttttttttttt_.

Bright, blinding light.

The sad thing was...

He only yearned again for Darkness.

_Luminous_.

**And you don't know it **

_What hides inside me _

**If nothings so different **

_Don't close the door _

_**I'm not asking for more**_

Swirls.

_Oh god_ I'd give my life for you.

Swirls of song.

Old, soft... deep.

**For just one second that was true**

**Keep me feeling** _so brand new_

He felt tranquil, peaceful. Quiet. Everything was quiet.

_I'm not asking for much_

_Don't hid me_

_Then you wonder why my heart_

An echo. Too quiet. He liked it. He was free...

Strange.

_**Don't go...**_

* * *

(Yes, I twisted the lyrics, haha. No, they aren't mine. Telepopmusik's _Yesterday Was A Lie_. Listen to it. hehe... Oh and to your question, Swing-21, I'm sure once its over and done with, a re-read would very much help you understand everything. It all pieces together, just in a very strange, strange way.) 


	27. Tea Party

Swirl. 

Bounce. Swerve. Jump.

Gasp!

Seconds.

Minutes.

Hours...?

"Are... we here?"

"Yes."

They landed surprisingly gracefully onto Zim's front lawn.

"Well, that was a stealthy escape." Dib noted.

"Of course, I am Zim! Why _wouldn't_ I think of something so _brilliant_!"

"Of course." Dib ventured.

_Swirl_.

Dib jumped off of Zim.

"We should go inside. I hope they won't try to find us." He bit his lip in nervousness.

"Not to worry, Dib-toy, Zi.. I will keep us safe." He let his pak legs slip again into his pak.

"I know, but I still worry." Zim shrugged it off.

"You've always been a bit paranoid, huh."

Dib smiled wryly. "And you _aren't_?" Zim looked at him accusingly.

"You're lying!" Zim screamed, then turned around as though nothing happened. Dib had, for the most part, gotten used to Zim's outbursts, but it still made him wonder. He smiled.

"I'm glad they are functioning now. Everything seems to be in order." Zim said, almost to himself. He grabbed Dib's hand.

They went inside. Gir was staring blankly at the tv screen.

It wasn't even on.

"Gir?" Zim inquired, though cautiously.

Gir turned his head. "MASTER!" Gir ran hysterically to Zim, squeezing unto Zim's leg.

"Let go, RIGHT NOW GIR!"

"Oh, isn't he so cute?" Said Dib, grinning.

"NO!"

Dib just laughed and shut the door.

"Oh, Masta! I missed-ed you!"

Gir finally released Zim's leg.

"I missed.. you too..." Zim said lowly, looking upon Gir's stupid... little... face.

"YAH! Big-HEAD-Boy! I likes you! Mm-_hmm_!"

Dib blushed. "Yeah.." He chuckled.

"GIR!"

"Yes, my liege!"

"Go outside and play with mini-moose, The Dib and I need concentration!"

"Yes, sir! YAHHHHHHOO!!!" Gir ran, slipping and sliding out the door with a squeaking mini-moose. "Wheeeeeeee! Lets have a TEA PARTY! Piggies! Heehee!"

"We should get an elevator." Dib wondered out loud. "And get the toilet out of the.."

"SILENCE!"

Dib flinched at the high-pitched command.

Zim looked at Dib strangely, then slapped his head in his stupidity.

"Oh, sorry.." Said Zim anxiously.

"That's fine." Dib looked at Zim with concern.

"No, not really.. I just... trying to think!"

"Me too."

Zim sat at the kitchen table, his eyes in concentration.

"Got anything to eat?"

Zim looked at Dib briefly. "I don't know."

"I'll look."

"Probably stale waffles or somethin."

"Nah, I think I'll pass then."

"Good idea. Sit with Zim!"

Dib sat.

"Maybe we should get the police involved.."

"Who?" Zim's antennas perked up. "Contell?"

"Who's that?"

"Oh, he's this human.. who helped me get out of the conviction of killing you."

"Oh.." Dib looked down, almost guiltily.

"_Almost_ killing you.. heh, he's pretty amazing for a earth-smelly." Zim tried to smile, but it faded into... pain. "Dib.. our smeebie might already be dead!"

Dib leaned over and placed chaste, loving kiss on Zim's cheek.

"I won't let it happen."

Zim leaned forward, kissing Dib square on the lips. "Me either."

Silence.

Tick, tick, tick. _Tick_.

"Well.." Zim spoke suddenly. "I was thinking I could track Mariko with her pak's coordinates... but.."

Dib sat in silence.

"But.. she was a natural born, so of course she wouldn't have one!"

"How.." Dib said quietly. Zim looked at him, waiting.

"How can we find her then?"

"I don't know!"

"Well... god Zim, I don't know either."

"Maybe, she's at the lab I was at... maybe.. but no, that would be too obvious."

"Maybe... the obvious is what she wants us to go after."

"Huh?"

Dib elaborated. "I think... she wants us to try and save Mariko.. so she can get to you.. or me.."

"Why you?"

"I don't know... I'm just brainstorming."

"Keep with this 'brainstorming'." Zim waved off. Its not like he was thinking of anything of use.

"Well, do you know where this lab is?"

"I could find it easily. My memory is pretty... good."

"Ok... do you want to go to Contell..."

"No.. we need to do this ourselves... we need to prepare. You know how to shoot?" Zim was getting into his tactical mode.

"Um, sure... I'm pretty good at aiming."

"Yeah, yeah... well I'll give you one of my pistols and.."

"How'd you get pistols?!"

"Never mind that.. come with me!"

Dib had no time to protest, for Zim grabbed his hand, pushing him into the trash. He went after.

Swirl.

"I remember the address... Contell told me.. all I have to do is track the exact coordinates, and we can go... now!" He downloaded the directions to his pak, grabbed Dib's pistol, and unconsciously hugged Gir goodby, _much_ happiness ensued on Gir's part after that.

Dib was in such a rush, he barely had time to speak, much less complain about how hungry he was.

But for the moment, Mariko's safety was of the utmost importance.

They both loved Mariko, much more than Zim would admit... and either of them didn't even have the slightest idea what she looked like.

"She.. Dib... I love you." Zim spouted out, almost as if... this would be the only other chance to say it.. almost as if...

Dib smiled, and squeezed Zim's hand.

They went into Zim's Voot Cruiser. The ride was about twenty minutes by car, but with the Voot, it only took about three minutes.

Swirl.

"Be careful, Dib.." Zim whispered. "I'll have your back."

He turned around, almost to see if anyone was watching. He leaned forward and caught the other's lips with his own.

He kissed Dib with such unbridled, intense passion, sealed with a promise, a trust.

"I give my word."

Dib was a little dazed from the kiss, it made him feel all misty and relaxed, but soon straightened up.

"Same here."

Zim nodded and...  
Swirl.


	28. Always Rings Always

Always **Rings **Always

* * *

"_Don't_..._ let_..._ go._..." 

Calm.

_Deliriously_.

Calm.

_Stay calm, _calm_, stay calm... _calm.

Reaching, reaching, _reaching_ for something.

Swirl.

Bounce. Swerve. Jump.

Gasp!

Seconds.

Jump.

Swirls of images.

_Not _there

Minutes.

Hours...?

Deliriously.

_Deliriously_.

Angry.

"You _Inhuman_ Monster! Stay away from her...!" He glared, but his eyes betrayed him, lost with worry. "Don't you _dare_.. I'll RIP YOU APART!" In short, tense, furious screams, making sure the message was _clearly_ known. His only back up, besides Zim... was seated in his back pocket. But Zim was unconscious, at least, he thought so. In a fury, he knocked over the medical table, metal clattering to the ground. She just grinned at the outburst.

He tried to remain prudent, for at any moment, she could hack their daughter into pieces. He had to be so careful. But it was difficult to remain quiet, _quiet_ when his daughter's life was on the line, as well as Zim's. His life didn't matter at all to him anymore.

Quietly, Zim got up, crouching low. '_Stupid human. So _weak_... I'm barely even scratched._'

Then... crimson locked with brilliant gold. Dib let out a soft sigh of relief, he could tell from the look on Zim's face that the whole 'unconscious' thing was an act.

Happiness is...

Is...

_Swirl_.

Happiness.

Delirious.

Swirl.

Zim looked at Dib. He was barely breathing. Looked at Mariko. Dib. _Blur_. Blood.

Something inside of Zim snapped. His eyes glared with intense rage.

"Do you really want to _die_?" She seethed, grinning. There was something in her voice... something... frantic, hysterical... disturbed. She drew closer to Zim. "I'll kill her too.. your little mutant bastard of a daughter, I _will_! Slice her open... feed her insides to my cute little dogs at home..." She had the blade tightly grappled in her fist. "_Join_ me for dinner?" She was so caught up in her disturbed speech, she didn't see Zim stalking toward her, his antennas lowered, his whole body in a tense and fierce stance.

"...Not likely." Zim, in a furious blaze, pulled all of his might... twirled around and slammed his boot...

**Wham**! ..._Straight to her _head.

At the _force_ of the kick, so sudden and so intense, she seemingly flew, ramming head first into the very thick cement wall.

_Smash_!

It made such a terrible sound, you could hear something inside cracking, bone and cartilage mixing with fresh blood and brain. Something so soft.

Shattered.

She coughed, choked, murmuring unintelligible's. Blood was pouring from an open wound at the side of her head. Her hand reached involuntarily to her monstrous gash, but it fell, limp to the bloody floor as did the blade. Skull was cracked, flesh was hanging, blood was soaking, soaking, dripping.

Her bottle-green eyes were bulging out of her sockets, blond hair tangled and matted...

Drip, drip, _drip_.

Mariko screamed in terror at the hideousness laid before her, so prettily, so vividly, so...

_Splash_. He walked carefully over the blood.

Splattered.

**Screams**.

Zim quickly grabbed her, trying to shield her from the freshly strewn gore. "Shhh, its ok.." He said as calmly as he could muster.

**RIP YOU APART**!

The woman grinned sadistically.

Fast, _erratic_ Swirl.

Dib smiled right back, his eyes glistening. Reaching...

Time slowed.

Her eagle-trained eyes caught Dib in the act. Stealthily, carefully took out her assault rifle... cocked, aimed it at...

Dib already had his pistol out. Zim was standing behind it all. He was paralyzed. But Dib didn't see him, no he barely even saw anything. His eyes were blurred with delirious anger.

"Call it a draw?" She whispered, _crazed_, knew it was loaded. Aimed... Eyes on fire.

Then... Time zoomed, too fast for _anyone_ to catch.

He finally snapped out of it. "NO!" Zim cried out.

BANG! _Splasssssh_.

He pushed Dib, trying to clear him from the bullet, but it hit him. _In vain as always_.

Straight in the stomach, towards his chest.

She let out a scream of laughter as Zim tumbled on top of Dib, blood soaking underneath him.

Mariko's eyes widened.

"_I'll save you Mariko!_"

_No, no, no... no, _**no**_ mommy! wake up, please.. no.. mommy! its ok, now, mommy, WAKE UP! MOMMY!!!_

He couldn't see anything. Just _blur_.

He whispered. Unintelligible.

Echo.

"I'll save you."

Happiness...

Swirl.

_is a warm gun_

save you.

Always rings twice?

_Not _always

Zim achingly went over to Dib, Mariko laid against his chest... her tiny jade-paled face and raven hair, quirked antennas peeking out, all splattered with little specks of blood. The honey hue of her eyes gleamed as she turned and looked at both of the kind strangers, one covered with gore, shock, the other, in tears. Showed devastation and pain, but she understood... she understood. Tears. Sobs. Screams.

oh _fuck_, please! nononono... WAKE UP... _DIB_!!! PLEASE!...oh, please... please.. _Dib_... no..

understood **Love**.

She had a strange notion these two people should be important to her. She wrapped her tiny arms around Zim. She hiccuped, tears streaming down. "Da...?" Zim looked at her, puzzled. He smiled sadly.

"I love you Mariko." He leaned over Dib gently. And sobbed.

_I do love you, you know?_

**Hate**.

Always rings...?

_Always_

Eyes flutter open weakly.

"Zi-...Zim?"

Zim's harsh sobs came to a sudden halt. He gasped.

"Dib?"

Delirious.

I'll save

**BANG**!

Swirl...

_Just a dream?_

He was finally free.

* * *

_Fin._


End file.
